The Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Joseph Osei-Owusu and Member of Parliament for Nadowli Kaleo, Alban Babgin have been elected 1st and 2nd Deputy Speakers of Parliament respectively.
Their election came minutes after the new Speaker of Parliament, Prof Michael Oquaye was elected.
I’ll work to the best of my ability as 1st Dept. Speaker – Osei Owusu
Ahead of his election, Mr Owusu had expressed confidence in his abilities to serve as a 1st Deputy to the Speaker of Parliament.
Joseph Osei Owusu told Citi News his experience in the last eight years in the House will help him excel.
He was earlier approved by the National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to assist Professor Michael Oquaye, who will be the Speaker Parliament.
“Having worked here in Parliament for eight years, having come to understand the rules, knowing where to look for what to guide in the interpretation and the array of talent behind me I will succeed. I am intimidated by how daunting the task is, but I have optimism that if the party considers me to be the most suitable person to play that role for us to deliver on our mandate and the pledges we have made with the people of Ghana, I should feel challenged to be able to deliver to the best of my ability,” Mr. Osei Owusu said.
The 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Babgin had early on also promised not to let Ghanaians down if elected for the position.
“I will do my best and by His grace I’m sure I won’t disappoint,” the Nadowli-Kaleo lawmaker stated.
He was the Minister for Health in the Ghana government until February 2013 when Hanny-Sherry Ayittey took over the position.
He is also the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West. Bagbin hails from the Upper West Region of Ghana and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and English at the University of Ghana in 1980.
He proceeded to the Ghana School of Law at Makola in Accra after which he was called to the bar in 1982. Bagbin is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and represents the Nadowli West Constituency from the Upper West Region.
Bagbin announced his intentions to run for president in 2008 on the NDC ticket, but he never stood for the primaries.
He became the Majority Leader in the Ghanaian parliament in 2009. Following a cabinet reshuffle in January 2010, he was appointed Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing by President Mills.
He later took over from Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor as the Majority Leader under President John Mahama’s tenure.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
