Okudzeto Ablakwa says Bagin is more accommodating than Oquaye as Speakers
• Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has made a comparison between Alban Bagbin and his predecessor, Aaron Mike Oquaye
• According to him, Bagbin has shown more accommodating qualities as Speaker than Oquaye
• He however admits it is still early days for such an emphatic comparison
In comparison, the current Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has been more accommodating than his predecessor, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye, the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said.
According to the lawmaker, the manner in which the current Speaker has handled both sides of the House, welcoming their concerns and other businesses shows his more accommodating personality than the past one did.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was however quick to admit that it is still too early to make such an emphatic comparison but there is no doubt in his mind that so far, Alban Bagbin has exhibited “very good signs”, reports citinewsroom.com.
“It’s quite early to judge, but Speaker Bagbin has so far shown very good signs. We do know that he is the most experienced speaker in terms of knowledge of the house. He has been in the house as a founding member of Parliament of the 8th Parliament. He knows the entire rudiments and spectrum. He is well-versed with proceedings and technicalities, the role that Parliament should play. And I will say that he has been more accommodating,” he explained.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament added that, in his personal analysis, Prof. Mike Oquaye came across as an “autocratic and partisan leader” during his time as Speaker, far different from Alban Bagbin’s approach so far.
“Professor Mike Oquaye is my own Sunday school teacher, lecturer at the University of Ghana, and a proud ‘odade3’, and he knows that I hold him in high regard. But because of that teacher role that he has played over the years, he tended to be a bit too bossy and quite autocratic sometimes. He did not really allow the debate in the house to flow. He came across sometimes as too partisan.
“And indeed, we had cause to go public on some of his rulings. But that is not to take anything away from him as a fine man and a mentor. But if you juxtapose his tenure, in the 7th Parliament with that of Speaker Bagbin, you will realize that Speaker Bagbin has been more accommodating of both sides of the house. There are times that he has been torn between allowing motions that have been filed to just go as it is, but he has pushed for a more consensual approach. I remember that with Mahama Ayariga’s motion on school fees, he encouraged the other side to make inputs and let it be a consensual motion,” he added.
Alban Bagbin won a historic election in Parliament in the early hours of January 7, 2021, making him Speaker of the 8th Parliament; the first time a member of the opposition has headed the House as Speaker.
Alban Bagbin, who was the Second Deputy Speaker in the previous Parliament, under Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye, won the elections with 138 votes, beating his only contender, his former Speaker, Oquaye.