Following the suggestion by a group of women in the Eastern Region that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, be accorded national honours for his longstanding service in the Fourth Republican Parliament, another group of women in the Volta Region have re-echoed the sentiment.
The group of Voltarian women are similarly asking that the highest national honor, the Order of the Volta, be bestowed on the Speaker.
“Look, over the years, our governments have awarded all manner of people, including politicians like Kufuor, who only served 8 years in office, national honours. And yet, we have right there presiding over Parliament the longest serving legislator in the whole of the Fourth Republic and yet there is no national accolade whatsoever,” complained, Madam Felicia Nyador.
“We demand that as a matter of commonsense, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin be accorded national honours which he richly deserves.”
And according to Madam Nyador who spoke on behalf of the group, nothing but the highest national honour, the Order of the Volta, will do.
“Not only will it be befitting to honour our country’s longest serving legislator, it will also make the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Parliament truly meaningful,” added madam Nyador.
Earlier, a group of women in the Eastern region led by one Mrs Emelia Darkwa had called on government to do Bagbin the honours as part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Parliament.
Their call was based on the fact that the 30th anniversary of Parliament also coincides with the 30th anniversary of Bagbin’s service in Parliament having been one of the Fourth Republic’s pioneering MPs and the only one who has kept on for 30 years.
Madam Nyador, who was speaking to journalists in Volta pointed out that Bagbin is also the only Fourth Republican legislator who has served as Majority Leader, Minority Leader and then as Speaker.
“The man is truly the most thoroughbred Parliamentarian of the Fourth Republic. It is a shame that we still have not accorded him the needed national recognition.”
Madam Nyador praised the Eastern women for making the call saying “we fully associate ourselves with it and reiterate the demand for Bagbin to be accorded the Order of the Volta.”
Source: ghanaweb.com / Richard Asamoah, Contributor
