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The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia has been appointed to serve on the Parliamentary Service Board (PSB).
He was appointed by the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin.
Other members of the board are the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu and Mr Abraham Osei Aidoo, who is a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament and former Majority Leader.
The Parliamentary Service Board is chaired by the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Bagbin.
Also on the board is the Clerk of Parliament, Mr Cyril Nsiah.
The appointment of the six member board followed a recommendation by the Advisory Committee of Parliament to the Speaker.
Intrusion of governance
Reading the letter from the unnamed chairman of the committee prior to the House adjourning Monday night [March 29, 2021], Graphic Online’s Nana Konadu Agyeman reported that Mr Bagbin said, per the letter, some members of the committee expressed reservation at the appointment of Mr Asiedu-Nketia onto the board.
“It is considered by some members of the committee that the membership of Mr Asiedu Nketia amounts to an undesired intrusion into the governance of Parliament by a political party and may not in the circumstances bode well for the independence of Parliament since he is the General-Secretary of a major opposition political party.
“Notwithstanding, Mr Speaker is the person clothed with the authority to appoint the other four persons, who together with the Clerk-to-Parliament constitute the Parliamentary Service Board. It is also our considered opinion that Mr Speaker will do what is appropriate,” he read the letter as saying
