Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, has urged the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, to cooperate with the Minority side to avoid stalemates.
Speaking in Parliament earlier today, Mr. Bagbin said the failure of the Majority Leader to ensure his members were present in the house during the ongoing 2024 budget debate was evidence that he was ‘limping’ in his role.
According to the Speaker, following the New Patriotic Party’s presidential primaries, loyalties are shifting from the incumbent, President Akufo-Addo, to the party’s flagbearer, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
This, he attributed to the MPs deserting their obligation to the ‘lame duck’ Akufo-Addo administration.
He noted that, it is at such a precarious juncture that the Majority side would need to build bridges and seek consensus with the opposition to avoid halting government business.
“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 lame duck President.
“You need this side of the house to support you to finish your eight years. And so if you don’t behave well we have a difficulty in proceeding as a nation,” he said.
He assured the NPP MPs that he would not allow the NDC MPs bully them in the house due to their low numbers.
“Please, I expect you to cooperate; I will not allow them to bully you. You’ll get sufficient time to put across your case,” he said.