The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, has expressed strong support for maintaining the current leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in the 9th Parliament.
He emphasized the importance of experience and resilience in the leadership role.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Wednesday December 18 on the impending NPP leadership decision, Mr. Osei Owusu stated that his perspective, though unofficial, is grounded in his experience as a longstanding member of the House.
He said, “I’m not a member of the 9th Parliament, and nobody has asked me to do anything for it. But as someone who has worked full-time in the House, I strongly believe in longevity and experience.”
He referenced the effectiveness of former Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as an example stating, “When Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was the Minority Leader and later Majority Leader, he stood out very clearly. But it did not happen by accident.”
“He started as a chief whip and grew into the leadership role. Longevity brings experience and clarity,” he explained.
The First Deputy Speaker endorsed Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin to continue as Minority Leader, arguing that his experience is unmatched among the current pool of potential leaders.
He said, “There’s nobody who has had that experience before him. The only person who has had similar experience is Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu but he is leaving Parliament.”
“If you ask me, let Afenyo-Markin continue. He is now the only person with some experience that will be useful going forward.”
The First Deputy Speaker acknowledged the challenges faced by the NPP Minority in the upcoming Parliament and stressed the need for a leader with both strategic insight and combative strength.
“Where we are now, we need to be combative. We can never influence decisions—at best, we’ll get 91 votes, looking at all that is going on. We cannot change decisions, but our voices must be very loudly heard in and out of the chamber,” he argued.
He emphasized the qualities needed in the next Minority Leader who he said should be strong, hot-headed, and willing to stand the heat.
That’s my view,” he asserted.