The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has asked Members of Parliament (MPs), especially first-timers, to prioritise the interest of the country above that of their parties. 

He said Parliament was a critical government arm that addressed serious challenges facing the nation, hence, the need for parliamentarians to, at all times, prioritise the country’s interest above any other.

The Speaker was addressing the opening ceremony of a four-day orientation programme for MPs of the Ninth Parliament at the Parliamentary Service Training Institute at Parliament House in Accra last Saturday.

Mr Bagbin charged the new MPs to gravitate towards the nation at all times as it was consequential for the advancement of their political career of MPs.

“I want to tell you to stay focused. We are seriously addressing the challenges facing our nation.

That is the number one priority, not the parties. It's very, very, very critical.

“Those of you who are not up there, please refocus.

Those who really think Ghana first advance in politics than those who are extremely partisan.

When you are extremely partisan, you may ascend in the regime, but in the next one, you collapse,” Mr Speaker stated. 

Advice

The Speaker also admonished his new lawmakers to be wary of identifying themselves with a particular leader as their longevity and relevance would be coterminous with the leader they aligned with.

“Where you are seen to have identified yourself with one personality, who might be the leader, after that leader you are not relevant anymore.

That's one of the challenges we have to surmount in this country.

People come and they cultivate a constituency and fire them up to fight for them.

“If you are one of those caught in that constituency or club, you become sycophants and hypocrites. Your life in Parliament depends on the life of that leader. When that leader leaves, that's the end of your political career,” the veteran legislator indicated.

Support

Mr Bagbin indicated that the Parliamentary Service under his leadership was prepared to offer the necessary support to the new MPs to be successful in the next four years as legislators.

He said Parliament had been transformed in the last four years to be strong, effective and efficient, saying, “the service is better equipped, better resourced, better regulated and morale is very high” for performance duty.

He urged them to network with colleagues, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the private sector and the international community as networking was a great avenue for seeking opportunities to travel and mobilise resources to execute projects in their constituencies.

Commitment and tolerance

In his address, the Deputy Majority Leader, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, urged the new lawmakers to take their parliamentary work seriously as the work ahead would not be easy although it would be rewarding.

He encouraged them to commit to the principles of the country’s democracy, saying, “Our democracy depends on your commitment to the principles of Justice, Equity and Accountability.”

Mr Buah encouraged the new MPs to rise above partisan interests and focus on the greater good of the Ghanaians as parliamentarians.

For his part, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, also urged the new lawmakers to be tolerant of dissenting views and not take any actions of their colleagues in Parliament personally.

He urged them to keep the ideologies of their political parties despite their bond and learn from one another in the chamber.

“Keep friendships, but let the principle of your political ideologies remain. Don’t compromise it and don’t betray your party. Complement each other and learn from a colleague,” he said.