Rt. Hon. A.S.K. Bagbin, I extend to you warm felicitations from Wateridge Village, Ottawa, Canada.
I am a newspaper columnist, communication consultant, and a research associate in the not-for-profit community in the Ontario province.
As part of my schedule, I follow with great interest and intense curiosity, the evolution and progress of democratic institutions in Africa and around the world, particularly institutions whose mandates impact on policy and decision-making at strategic levels of governance.
The Parliament of Ghana, the bulkwalk of our democracy, is the most important organ in our development axis. Under your aegis, Parliament has been nurtured very well.
Payola in Parliament
I write to bring to your urgent attention the disturbing public conduct of the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, which continues to receive negative commentary in the media and provoke the ire of public ethics promoters.
In a viral video footage, the Member is seen narrating how he received money from an entrepreneur, as inducement to discontinue his advocacy for an important national cause.
He bragged that the boss of a popular TV host “paid me big money to stop talking about him on social media”.
In the music industry where A-Plus had come from, it is normal to pay to promote music or kill an enemy’s music. It is called Payola.
The important national matter in reference is the decentralisation of waste management in Ghana, a crucial aspect of our economy for which public money is strenuously, and sometimes extravagantly, expended.
The sanitation sector has featured prominently in our national discourse–in relation to behavioral attitudes to waste management, which has grave implications for floods, outbreak of diseases, and loss of life.
Years of advocacy from public and private institutions for lasting solutions to waste pollution and mismanagement, especially from organizations in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) space, have often looked to Parliament for relevant legislation towards enforcement.
It is concerning that a parliamentarian would publicly trade this important advocacy responsibility for money.
Footprints of excellence
Media commentators and democracy watchers have swiftly called for the arrest and prosecution of the parliamentarian, describing the conduct as unparliamentary, dishonorable and criminal.
In a heated political season punctuated by arrests and prosecutions of persons fingered or suspected to have been involved in corruption or corruption-related activities, it is expected that the spirit of ORAL and the ghosts of patriots who died for less, would motivate and haunt the House of Parliament to invite Kwame Asare Obeng to the Privileges Committee, to answer some questions.
The majority in Parliament, on which side he conducts his business while remaining an independent member, should be outraged by the reckless behavior of the new Gomoa legislator and initiate impeachment proceedings with their huge numbers.
The Parliament of Ghana has played host to some of the most decent and fantastic men and women Ghana has produced since Emmanuel Charles Quist presided over the National Assembly from 1951 to 1957.
We read about the phenomenal contributions of some fine and intelligent parliamentarians who delighted Ghanaians with their excellent debating skills, including J.H. Mensah, a stalwart in the second, third and fourth Parliaments.
In recent times, we have seen parliamentary excellence in the footprints of John Mahama, Nana Akufo-Addo, and Justice D.F Annan, the only speaker to serve two terms until your impressive reelection as Speaker recently. Before you, Rt. Mike Oquaye put in some good work, too.
Under your great leadership, Speaker of Parliament, Bagbin, the house continues to produce some phenomenal parliamentarians who are today showing their mettle as statesmen and women who mean well for our country and remain poised to build our democracy. The two gentlemen leading both sides of the House have individuated themselves as majority and minority leaders, often demonstrating great leadership.
These are unmistakable examples of what we expect to see in our Parliamentarians. We saw it in Kofi Konadu Apraku. We saw it in Papa Owusu Ankomah.
We saw it in Ursula Owusu Ekuful. We saw it in Nii Lantey Vanderpuye. We see it in Zanetor Rawlings.
Street Parliament
Sir, we have seen even finer examples in your unusually brilliant parliamentary career–from your first term as the Nadowli West legislator in 1992, and as majority leader.
It sits well with rational expectation to imagine Mahama Ayarigah or Alex Afenyo Markin, and other fine talents in the House, assume your role as Speaker when your illustrious term ends.
Can we say the same about an Member of Parliament who openly proclaims that he trades advocacy for money.
Can we say the same about a legislator who looks into television cameras and tells the public: “Me, I am street and I am so bad. I have time to deal with you. Me, I am a brutal guy”.
In keeping with his street lingo, he deployed very harsh words to describe the Attorney-General, a fellow legislator. Parliament, ahoy!
By his own admission, the Member for Gomoa Central, where I come from, has showed us exactly where not to pick our legislators from: The Streets.
Previously, we brought our MPs from university lecture halls, secondary school classrooms, the law courts, the civil service, hospitals, and the farm.
We failed to get any from the streets and that has made all the difference.
Sir, let’s reset the difference we bargained for when we reelected you as Speaker and voted for the NDC.
Respectfully,
Tissues Of The Issues
bigfrontiers@gmail.com
Ottawa, Canada.
