By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The newly appointed Majority Leader in Parliament, Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central Region Alexander Afenyo-Markin has called on colleagues in the House to minimize the politicization of national issues and focus on bringing progress, and development to Ghana.
According to him, it is “time to rise up above extreme partisanship” and focus more on what he termed must be “a new chapter in parliamentary leadership: uniting for Ghana’s prosperous future”, “in these times of an almost hung Parliament, particularly poignant in an election year, Ghana stands at a crucial crossroads, faced with multifaceted challenges that demand our collective attention and action”.
he emphasized the fact, the nation’s economy, an epitome of growth in the Region prior to the impacts of COVID-19 and the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict, now grapples with pressing issues with escalating national debt and rising inflation have significantly undermined fiscal stability, eroding the purchasing power of our citizens.
In his acceptance speech as the new Leader, delivered on the floor of Parliament 23rd February, 2023, Majority Leader also mentioned that, “while the government under the esteemed leadership of President Nana Akuffo-Addo, with the invaluable support of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has commendably created over 2 million jobs, thereby rescuing a considerable segment of our youth from unemployment, the challenge of joblessness, especially underemployment, persists”
He noted that, “this reality continues to fuel social unrest and economic disparities. Although noteworthy strides have been made in education and healthcare, evident through transformative policies like the Free SHS and the National Health Insurance Scheme, disparities in access, especially between urban and rural locales, are still prominent. These concerns are not just economic in nature; they call for comprehensive social reform to ensure equitable development for all Ghanaians”
……. “As we acknowledge the significant progress made by the Nana Akuffo-Addo administration in these and many more areas, it is also evident that the path to sustainable growth and equity in Ghana requires further collective endeavour and innovative approaches. We must navigate these challenges not as incongruent political entities but as united representatives of the Ghanaian people, whose primary interest lies in the prosperity and wellbeing of our nation.
This juncture in Ghana’s journey, therefore, calls for a departure from extreme and destructive partisan politics and a move towards a unified approach where long-term national interests supersede short-term political gains”.
