The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has officially released the list of approved members for Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament. This announcement follows a period of discussion regarding the composition of the delegation.
The newly approved delegation members are; Rickett Kwaku Hagan, Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South as the Leader, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, MP, Ho West, Laadi Ayi Ayamba, MP, Pusiga, Eric Afful, MP for Amenfi West, Dominic Napare, Sene East Member of Parliament,
Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament Asokwa, Kwame Ayimadu Antwi, MP, Asante Akim Central, Bryan Acheampong, MP for Abetifi and Millicent Yeboah Amankwah, Sunyani West MP as an Observer.
Prior to the approval, a contentious debate unfolded in the House as Speaker Bagbin, voiced strong concerns regarding the selection process for Ghana’s delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament. The Speaker’s remarks highlighted a disagreement over who should represent Ghana, revealing underlying tensions within the legislative body.
The majority leader, Mahama Ayariga in moving the motion on the composition of the delegation proffered an amendment to the previous list to replace Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin with Patricia Appiagyei in order to meet the 30% female quota in ECOWAS Parliament.
The proposed membership initially advertised constituted George Rickets-Hagan as Leader with Emmanuel Kwame Bedzrah, Laadi Ayii Ayamba. Eric Afful, Dominic Napare, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, Kwame, Anyimadu-Antwi and Bryan Acheampong as members. Millicent Yeboah Amankwah who was proposed as an observer.
He further amended the list to make Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament Abetifi rather an observer and make Millicent Yeboah Amankwah, MP, Sunyani West a member. Ayariga added, the choice of Patricia Appiagyei was arrived at due to her designation as deputy minority leader.
However, Dominic Nitiwul legislator for the Bimbilla Constituency mounted strong opposition to the amended list urging leadership to take the list back & resolve those lingering issues. Meanwhile Speaker Bagbin by way of guidance indicated that the motion must be taken today but Millicent Amankwah remains an observer.
In response to the escalating situation, Frank Annoh Dompreh, MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri and Minority Chief Whip, called for a dignified retreat from the contentious issue. Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Dompreh expressed confidence that the matter could be resolved through further engagement.
He advocated for a cautious approach, appealing to the Speaker to encourage negotiation and consensus-building rather than resorting to a vote.
Dompreh cautioned his colleagues against pushing for a vote on such matters, warning that the outcome might not be favorable to them. He also mentioned cooperating with senior colleagues, such as Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, regarding voting strategies, but stressed the importance of engaging in dialogue to avoid unnecessarily exposing their leaders to unfavorable outcomes.
In a call for cohesion, Speaker Bagbin urged the newly delegated members to prioritize their role as representatives of Ghana rather than their respective political parties.
He emphasized that their work in both the ECOWAS and Pan-African Parliaments should reflect a unified national interest. This directive comes after recent parliamentary debates regarding delegation matters, underscoring the Speaker’s push for a harmonious and effective representation on the international stage.
Story By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
