The first week in October 2023 has been one of anguish. The week has been full of thorns and thistles for the New Patriotic Party in particular and the nation as a whole.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the worldwide body of Parliaments in countries that in the past had come under the rule of Great Britain was to have its Annual Conference in Accra from 30th September to 6th October, 2023.
The Ghana branch had sent invitations to former Speakers of the Ghanaian Parliament as well as former Leaders of the House. Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, a three-term Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru was a Majority Leader after the brief leadership of Papa Owusu Ankomah, and, as such, had been invited to the inaugural event.
Speaker Alban Bagbin, the host Speaker, enquired from me whether the Speakers and leaders could make it. That was in the evening of Tuesday, 3rd October. I informed him that I had met both Professor Oquaye and Rt. Hon. Sakyi Hughes at President Kufuor’s residence and the former had confirmed he would be coming. I indicated that I had not heard from Hon. Felix Owusu-Adjapong for a while but I thought he might be in good shape as he was doing very well the last time I visited.
The following day, Wednesday, October 4, 2023, just the day after that conversation with Rt. Hon. Bagbin, the transition of Mr. Felix Owusu-Adjapong came through. Showing the communication to the Speaker in the evening at the Conference Centre at the dinner for the conferees, it catapulted him from his chair.
Felix, as a Leader of the House was one who was always looking for results. He would not allow anything to stand in his way. As the Leader of Government Business, his attitude was that a government is elected to fulfill its social contract, encapsulated in its manifesto, with the people. In that regard, the work programme of the elected administration must be duly implemented, and Parliament must provide effective partnership. If the people, the ultimate beneficiaries, felt short-changed, they are clothed with the authority to vote out the government. In other words, in his considered view, the minority must have their say, but the Majority would have their way.
Some in the Minority group in Parliament considered Felix was uncompromising, and gave him the accolade: “Great Leader”. Paradoxically, Hon. Owusu-Adjapong came to love the title and signed letters with the “honour” bestowed. The surveyor and lawyer that Felix was, he was thorough in his activities.
In 1997 when the NPP first entered Parliament, the number for the Parliamentary group was just 61 in the 200-member chamber. The Caucus was complemented by 4 CPP members and two PNC which brought the Minority up to 67, denying the NDC the watershed two-thirds which would have given them absolute majority. The conduct of activities in Parliament in those times engendered desperation especially, when the then Speaker, Justice Daniel Francis Annan insisted that because the ratio in the House was 2:1, he would, on any subject matter of debate or comment in plenary, accord the NDC two speaking turns and one for the Minority Caucus.
This compelled the NPP group to begin a frantic exercise to expand our numbers. Felix Owusu-Adjapong provided the group space at his office. The group was populated by back-benchers. That meeting birthed “Mission 2000” which was the fund-raising vehicle that was used to support the orphan constituencies. Each MP adopted one orphan constituency. The upshot of it all, enter January 2021, was the dramatic overnight increase in the numbers of the NPP to 103 from 61. Felix Owusu-Adjapong was very instrumental in the mobilisation of the funds: at least 20% of the funds raised ensued directly from his contacts. The resources came to be placed at the disposal of the party.
Felix served under two Speakers, Rt. Hon. Peter Ala Adjetey and Bagyina Sakyi Hughes, the latter of whose election he, Uncle Felix, was very instrumental in.
The Majority Leader, Leader of the House, and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Hon Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong was one of the 17 people who put in their hat in the party’s presidential primaries to succeed President Kufuor. After the abortive attempt, he was brought back into the Executive as the Minister for Energy from where he exited the Executive and Parliament on January 6, 2009. Since then he has led a quiet life.
There cannot be any doubt that he fought a good fight for the cause and the Party, the New Patriotic Party that he so much believed in. Senior Felix, May your soul rest in perfect peace.