The Majority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has paid glowing tributes to the distinguished personalities who have been part of his success story.
In his acceptance speech as the newly appointed Majority Leader on Friday, February 22, 2024, on the floor of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin emphasized that but for the support he got on his political journey, he wouldn’t have been where he is today.
“I never saw this day coming. I want to express my profound gratitude to everyone who has been supportive through my political journey” he stated.
Hon. Afenyo-Markin also said that he faced up and downs on his political journey but for pieces of advice and encouragement from some personalities, he may have given up.
“My long journey to this Parliament, as you are all aware, received a lot of setbacks” he told the House.
He recounted how, in 2004, when he won his primaries and just two days to the filing of his nomination, the party’s elders in Effutu said he was too young to be an MP, and that he was denied the opportunity to contest in the parliamentary elections.
He added that in the 2008, he contested again and the regional executives, in cahoots with the then MP, eliminated him through rough tactics.
Though it was a bitter pill, he had to accept the story for the love and forward march of the party.
The Majority Leader also used the occasion to tell the House the other elections he contested and won despite the setbacks in the parliamentary ones.
“2012, when I finally got the nod to lead Effutu, none had confidence in me to win” he indicated.
It was through the benevolence of President J. A. Kufuor who asked Hon. Hackman Owusu Agyemang to talk to the people.
“Hon. Stephen Asamoah Boateng (Asabee) joined later where we did our house to house. By the Grace of God, I won”
Upon winning the 2016 elections, an election he had worked hard for the NPP, he had great expectations but it never materialized because ‘that was not my time’, he said.
His young colleagues who had joined the House for the first time in 2016 were made Cabinet Ministers, others were made chairmen or vice chairmen, but he never got such an opportunity. “I never complained”.
His nomination to ECOWAS Parliament also suffered a major setback because though the slots were 8, they were nine and one colleague MP wanted to continue to be in the ECOWAS Parliament, he sacrificed himself and came back home.
“I expected to be honoured with an appointment to the committee level but that did not happen and I never complained” he told the House.
He never gave up. He continued to work hard for the NPP and to sacrifice his all for the same party, and today, he has been rewarded, and for that matter, he is grateful.
The Majority Leader also recalled how he was so afraid to speak on the floor of the House and to undertake certain basic things because he lacked the confidence to do so.
“It took a true brother and colleague, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah who called me one day when I was in Winneba that Kwamena come to Parliament, we are debating the budget. I said how will I start? He said, come, I have prepared some notes for you. Mark Assibey Yeboah said, you can do it! Come on! I have done mine! It happened. I thank you, Mark, how I wish you were here with me. I miss you dearly, you’re a true brother. You are selfless and you made it happen” he praised Dr. Assibey Yeboah.
He thanked his professors who taught him in law school, Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor and Hon. Paapa Owusu Ankomah. He also showed appreciation to the late E. T. Mensah for being there for him in his early days in Parliament.
As if prophecy comes true, in my early days, he stated, he received a call from Hon. O. B. Amoah that Leader was traveling all the way to Hanoi, Vietnam and he was supposed to be part of the trip but for some reasons, he could not make it and he had requested that he joined Leader in his stead.
“Upon arrival in Hanoi, in one of the nights, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah had a good discussion with me. He advised that I stayed close to the standing orders and he realized that many people don’t pay attention to the standing orders. He added that if you do it well and you discipline yourself, perhaps you may succeed me, you never know” Hon. Markin recounted what his predecessor, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu told him back in the days.
He also said that in Kenya, on a trip with Hon. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, he repeated the advice he had given to him in Hanoi. He thanked him profusely for his mentoring and advice.
He also showed gratitude to the New Patriotic Party for honouring him as the Majority Leader in Parliament.
“Today, I stand before you in profound humility and great honour to say that the party NPP has honoured me to be the primus of this great chamber” he stated.
He also pledged to work assiduously to ensure that the good works of his predecessor, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, are continued.
“I will work hard as the new Majority Leader in Parliament in order to continue with the good works of my predecessor” he assured the caucus.