The Speaker of Parliament is the presiding officer of the Legislature.
It’s an important role in Ghana’s democracy and persons elected to this position must be persons with deep knowledge and understanding of the activities of the House.
When Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was declared President-Elect on December 9, 2016, many people started talking about who becomes the Speaker of Parliament since current Speaker Edward Doe Adjaho will be vacating the Chair.
Lots of names have popped up notably, Professor Michael Aaron Quaye former Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya and a former Deputy Speaker of the House, Joe Ghartey MP for Essikado Katan and current second Deputy Speaker and Papa Owusu Ankomah, MP for Takoradi.
Among all these people which I will say are fine gentlemen and have deep understanding of parliamentary issues I must say Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay tops them all.
He is the current Acting Chairman of the New Patriotic Party after serving as First Vice Chairman of the party.
Mr. Blay has served as MP for Ellembelle from 1997 to 2008 on the ticket of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
He then moved on to serve as Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 1997 to 2001. While serving as Deputy Speaker he was serving as MP as well.
In 2001 when the NPP took over after the historic 2000 election Mr. Blay was elevated to serve as First Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2001 to 2008 whilst serving as an MP.
The points articulated above clearly shows that Mr. Blay has the experience required to lead the House. He also has over ten to twelve years experience at the leadership level of Parliament.
Many will criticize Mr. Blay as not being a party person considering his long affiliation with the CPP on whose ticket he went to Parliament.
Well he resigned from the CPP after losing the 2008 election in his constituency to Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah.
Since then he has been in the thick of affairs of the NPP leading to current position as Acting Chairman.
Mr. Blay is a lawyer, he was admitted to the Ghana Bar in 1977, Mr. Blay specializes in the field of company law, corporate structure, and foreign direct investment, which spans various areas of law and business.
He advises on all aspects of the operation of companies, such as construction of articles of association and shareholders’ agreements, directors’ duties and powers and shareholders’ rights, disputes, and directors’ duties.
His work involves all advisory and litigation aspects and covers areas such as takeovers, mergers, acquisitions and all aspects of corporate/commercial litigation.
Mr Blay’s practice is predominantly focused on complex, high-value business disputes and transactions, often with an international and offshore aspect.
His neutral and thorough ability to analyze scenarios and a dynamic approach focused on solutions has drawn an enviable international client base. His legal background will help him a lot since Parliament is a House of Laws.
He is familiar within the terrain and can deal with all the pressures that comes with it.
Mr. Blay is an Nzema from the Western Region. The party may want to reward the people of the Region who voted massively for the NPP with Mr. Blay’s appointment.
It will not be out of place to select an Acting National Chairman for that position. In 2000 when the NPP won the election the late Peter Ala Adjeitey was then the National Chairman, but resigned to take up the position of Speaker.
Mr. Blay comes in with experience, the drive and passion to see the Akufo-Addo government succeed, and the bet he will do a fine job. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Trans Africano Ltd, a Timer Firm in the Republic Of Ghana.
He was a member of the National Institutional Renewal Programme under the Chairmanship of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana from 2001 to 2007.
In 2000 and 2007 he was an observer in the Sierra Leone General Elections. His Parliamentary record is fantastic. Here are a few:
He was a Member Of Parliament Sub-Committee on Members Holding Office for Profit Form 1997 – 2001.
He was Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Ghana’s Parliament From 2001 – 2008. Chairman Privileges Committee from 2001-2008.
He was a Member of Parliament Sub-Committee on food and Agriculture from 2004–2008.
Outside Parliament he served as a Board Member of Ghana Oil Company Ltd, (Goil) from 2001-2004.
He later became Chairman of the same Board from 2005 to 2008.
From the points aforementioned my money is on Frederick Worsemao Blay for the choice of Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament.
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