Asiedu Nketia’s Parliament Board job has really pained me – Kyei Mensah Bonsu opens up

Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs who is also Member of Parliament for Suame the Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has openly admitted that the appointment of General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia to the Parliamentary Service Board has deeply pained him as he did all in his power to stop it.

Ardent readers of MyNewsGh.com may understand this development beyond normal partisanship because Mr. Asiedu Nketia has severally alleged, including recently, that Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu was called Lawrence Addae but had to change his name because of “a bad past” which has come up in past vetting of the Majority leader.

It will therefore not be surprising that the Majority Leader who has wide powers in government is unhappy he couldn’t block the appointment of his “arch-critic” to the Parliamentary Service Board.

In an interview restreamed and transcribed by MyNewsGh.com, Mr. Kyei Mensah Bonsu said the appointment of the NDC scribe is a contamination of the political sanctity of the parliamentary Service Board, saying the appointment makes him “very unhappy”.

While saying he has no problem with Asiedu Nketia as a person whom he says is intelligent and has contributed to the development of parliament as a former MP, the problem he has is Asiedu Nketia being a serving political party General Secretary.

Mensa Bonsu revealed the appointment was an ambush because he confronted Haruna Iddrisu who told him in confidence that “he was under pressure to present someone”- the someone turned out to be Asiedu Nketia.

“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.” Kyei Mensa Bonsu said.

“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,” he added.

Asiedu Nketia was appointed to the Parliamentary service board in what some of his party members suspected was an inducement or “thank you” gift for facilitating the approval of Akufo-Addo nominees.

In addition to Asiedu 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.

Source: MyNewsGh.com/2021