With the inauguration of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic on Saturday, January 7, leadership has also changed.
A former Second Deputy Speaker, precisely of the Fifth Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye, was elected on consensus as Speaker of the Seventh Parliament.
Two other members – as per the Standing Orders – were nominated by the Majority and Minority , in that order, to serve as deputy speakers.
The Majority nominated Member of Parliament for Bekwai Constituency Joseph Osei-Owusu as the First Deputy Speaker while the Minority nominated MP for Nadowli Kaleo Constituency Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as Second Deputy Speaker.
The nominations were unanimously accepted.
‘Joe Wise’
Joseph Osei-Owusu is a two-time MP after making an entry into the House as an independent candidate in 2009.
He was born on January 22, 1962 in Bekwai but had his ‘O’ and ‘A’ level education at Juabeng and Wenchi secondary schools.
He obtained a combined degree in Law and Classics from the University of Ghana.
He proceeded to the Ghana School of Law and was later called to the bar in 1990.
He started work as a legal practitioner with Yaw Barimah and Co in Koforidua for four years but went back to the Ashanti Region to team up with George Sarpong and Osei Prempeh to found Adom Chambers.
He engaged in private legal practice with the Chambers for nine years before making an entry into public service as Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicles Licensing Authority (DVLA).
He later left in 2008 to contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries in Bekwai. After losing, ‘Joe Wise’ as he is affectionately called, went independent and won the seat.
Since having been considered as a son of the NPP, he was allowed to contest the party’s primary ahead of the 2012 elections and he won.
He was the Ranking Member of the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the immediate past Parliament.
‘Mugabe’
ASK Bagbin comes in as the Second Deputy Speaker, a position held by the current Speaker between 2009 and 2013.
He was born on September 24, 1957 and is the longest-serving member of Parliament in the Fourth Republic.
He has been a member since the return to democracy in 1993.
He has served in various capacities including Majority and Minority leaders of the House.
He has also served in various ministerial positions including Minister of Health and Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing.
He was the Majority Leader in the immediate past Parliament and also served as Chairman of its Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Committee.
He is a lawyer by profession after being called to the bar in 1982.
He has taught English at a point in his life.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana