Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin has cautioned Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, underscoring the urgency of collaboration with the Minority side to avert legislative standstills.
Expressing disappointment over the Majority Leader’s inability to ensure the attendance of his members during the ongoing 2024 budget debate, Bagbin characterized the Majority Leader’s performance as ‘limping.’
The Speaker attributed the lacklustre performance of the Majority to the changing allegiances within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following the recent presidential primaries.
Notably, with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emerging as the NPP’s flagbearer, loyalties are shifting away from the incumbent, President Nana Akufo-Addo.
In a strong admonition, Bagbin argued that this realignment has led NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) to neglect their duties, treating President Akufo-Addo as a ‘lame duck’ leader.
To address this challenge, the Speaker urged the Majority Leader to prioritize cooperation with the Minority side, emphasizing that without this collaboration, the legislative process is at risk of suffering.
“I expect the majority, who have a limping majority leader, limping because when you look at his back you’re less than those in front of you.”
“You have a lame duck president, a lame duck because you have elected a flagbearer and loyalty and commitment are shifting. So your president is now a lame duck president,” stated Bagbin.
“You need this side of the house to support you to finish your eight years,” he continued.
“And so if you don’t behave well, we have difficulty in proceeding as a nation…please, I expect you to cooperate; I will not allow them to bully you. You’ll get sufficient time to put across your case,” Speaker Bagbin stressed