Bagbin’s exit is a colossal loss – Mensah-Bonsu

The Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has described the decision of Alban Bagbin not to seek re-election as a colossal loss to the House and the country.

Ghana’s Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has decided to quit Parliament after his current term expires in January 2021.

The 62-year-old had not picked nomination forms to contest the Nadowli-Kaleo parliamentary seat at the close of nomination last Friday.

Bagbin has been occupying the Nadowli-Kaleo parliamentary seat since 1992.

Known in the local parlance as “Nadowli Mugabe,” Bagbin’s exit will pave way for a new candidate for the first time in 28 years.

The legislator is yet to give reasons for his exit but it will be recalled that a youth group in his constituency mounted pressure on him earlier this year to give way for a new person to take over.

In an interview the Suame MP said Bagbin’s exit will greatly affect the quality of work done in Parliament.

“I regret the situation he finds himself in, other than that he is one of the most experienced hands in building the capacity and competencies of the new members of parliament. He is one person that I have counted on in this dispensation and the 7th Parliament.

“I have always counted on him and whenever we need to engage on matters relating to the rules and procedures of the house, he is one person again that I count on to partner me in developing the competency of members of the parliament. So the House not me but the entire house will miss him and filling in the void is going to be very difficult for us as parliament and indeed as a country.”

Mr Bagbin is not the only serving NDC MP who failed to pick the forms.

Four others in the Volta Region also did not. They are Mr Richard Quashiegah, MP for Keta; Mr Clement Kofi Humado, MP for Anlo; Mr Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, MP for Ketu South; and Dr Mrs Bernice Adiku Heloo, MP for Hohoe.