TIG Post

Tag: Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

  • Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was not forced out as is being speculated – Oda MP

    Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was not forced out as is being speculated – Oda MP

    Member of Parliament for Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has debunked claims that the Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was forced to relinquish his position. 

    Speaking to journalists, Mr Akwasi Acquah clarified that the Majority Leader, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, willingly gave up his position after the party reached a consensus with him on taking up his new role as the chairman of Dr Bawumia’s manifesto committee. 

    “Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has been given a very important role. Drafting the manifesto of Dr Bawumia is a very tedious work and so it is going to be a bit difficult to combine the two – leading the majority and doing that.

    “So some of us are at peace that he voluntarily decided to give up the position so he can concentrate on the new one. Well, I was in the meeting and he said he was voluntarily, because there was some form of consensus, there was a crunch meeting and he agreed that he was going to take up the position of the chairman of the manifesto committee which is another serious schedule. So it’s a fallacy and we don’t have to place a premium on the fact that he was forced out,” he said.

    Earlier this week, reports circulated about an impending reshuffle in the leadership of the Majority Caucus in Parliament.

    Details from the report indicated that the reshuffle was being pushed by the national executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and that the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, was in line to be replaced.

    Subsequently, members of the caucus held a press conference on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, rejecting the reports of any impending reshuffle in its leadership.

    However, the Majority Leader reportedly resigned from his position barely 24 hours after the press conference.

    His decision is said to have been communicated to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during a meeting with the membership of the majority and leaders of the NPP at Jubilee House on February 21 to discuss the way forward.

  • Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was forced to resign as Majority Leader – Dr Draman alleges

    Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was forced to resign as Majority Leader – Dr Draman alleges

    The Executive Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Rasheed Draman, has raised concerns about the resignation of former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

    Sources within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) hierarchy indicated that the Suame MP willingly offered to step down during a meeting of the NPP caucus in parliament and the executive, including President Akufo-Addo.

    However, speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Dr. Draman suggested that the Suame MP might have been compelled to resign from his position, raising questions about whether such an approach was the best way to encourage individuals to dedicate themselves to public service.

    While acknowledging the party’s right to choose its leaders in Parliament, he emphasized that the governance of the country is a collective responsibility.

    Considering Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s long-standing commitment to public service by being the longest-serving Member of Parliament, Dr Draman found the circumstances surrounding the exit troubling, stating, “I don’t think the end should be a push.”

    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu officially stepped down as the leader of the majority caucus in Parliament on Wednesday evening. Prior to this, there were rumors circulating about his potential removal to allow his Deputy, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to assume leadership.

    While some argue that his resignation was due to his new role as the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee for the NPP’s 2024 election campaign, Dr. Draman questioned this reasoning.

    He pointed out that there are other Members of Parliament who also hold ministerial positions and successfully manage their dual roles.

    “So really, we are just seeing a replay of the situation that we saw with the NDC, and Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has now joined his friend Haruna Iddrisu in suffering the same fate,” he said on Wednesday.

    Dr. Draman expressed his belief that, regardless of whether the resignation was negotiated or not, a better approach could have been taken to avoid the evident discord surrounding the departure of Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.