Asiedu Nketia’s appointment may compromise integrity of Parliament – Majority Leader

Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has expressed dissatisfaction at the appointment of the General Secretary of the NDC Asiedu Nketia to the Parliamentary Service Board.

He believes that Mr Asiedu Nketia’s inclusion might affect the integrity of Parliament.

According to the majority leader, Asiedu Nketia still holding a position as a General Secretary of the NDC is a great worry.

“I’m unhappy with Asiedu Nketia on the Parliamentary Service Board. Asiedu Nketia has been a Member of Parliament. He is an intelligent person and maybe if he has to contribute to developing Parliament he could. My worry is his current position as the General Secretary.

“It has never happened before in the life of Parliament especially when you have a very intrusive General Secretary. Even in the course of normal business of Parliament, he will come and sit there to ensure that his people vote in a certain direction,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister spoke on Joy news’ programme, The Probe.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also bemoaned how Parliament under Alban Bagbin is gradually becoming an enclave for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“You have brought in Kofi Attor who is the Vice-Chairman of a party as an adviser. He has brought in two former MPs he says he is bringing them on as advisers, Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary, of the party and then, Gayheart Mensah, he is also coming to the Speaker’s office.

“So you are turning that place into an enclave for the NDC. There is one other guy whose name I have forgotten. He was a usual panel at Radio Gold. I understand he wants to make him his Communications Officer,” he said.

The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin on March 29, approved a six-member Parliamentary Service Board which includes Chairman of the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party, Hackman Owusu Agyeman and NDC’s Johnson Aseidu Nketia.

The four other members of the Board are MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, former Majority leader Abraham Osei Adu, the Clerk to Parliament, and the Speaker as its Chairman.

The Parliamentary Service Board amongst other duties makes regulations; prescribing the terms and conditions of service of officers and other employees for the effective and efficient administration of the Service.