The Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana was in the wee hours of yesterday inaugurated for a four-year term.
In all, 275 of the 276 newly-elected Members of Parliament (MPs) were inducted into office by the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
The Ablekuma North Constituency in the Greater Accra Region did not have an MP to be inducted because its parliamentary result is outstanding due to unresolved issues.
The parliamentary poll held in that constituency on December 7 has been in dispute as the now governing NDC and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) both claim victory.
Of the 275 legislators sworn in, the NDC has 183, NPP 88 and Independent, four.
Both the NDC and the NPP caucuses have retained their leadership in the eighth parliament in the current house.
Thus, the now Majority caucus (NDC) is led by Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam and would be deputised by MP for Ellembele, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
Other members on the front bench of the Majority caucus are Governs Kwame Agbodza, MP Adaklu, as Chief Whip; and MPs for Banda and Ada, Ibrahim Ahmed and Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe as first and second deputy whips respectively.
On the other hand, MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, leads the Minority caucus (NPP) with MP for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, as his deputy.
Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, is the chief whip with MP for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, and new entrant for Weija/Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, as first and second deputy whips respectively.
Swearing in the legislators, the Speaker underscored the need for collaboration if the House would be able to make any impact on the people.
As the second Speaker in Ghana’s parliamentary history in the fourth republic to secure a second term, Alban Bagbin expressed his appreciation to the MPs and pledged his experience to shepherd the House to deliver on its mandate.
“Honorable Members, I am very grateful for the privilege and confidence you have reposed in me to be Speaker and to help this honourable House once more.
“I promise to bring all these experiences to bear on guiding this House to perform its mandate with efficiency, diligence, and above all, with a sense of being the bulwark of democracy in Ghana,” he said.
The Speaker also called on Ghanaians to engage their representatives to actively take interest in the work of the legislature.
“To the good people of Ghana who continue to hope for a better Ghana, I urge you to support your Parliament and be interested and engaged with the work of Parliament,” he entreated the citizenry.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
