The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu (Joewise) says the Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin should be allowed to serve as the Minority Leader in the next parliament when the New Patriotic Party forms the Minority after losing the 2024 elections.
He says the NPP MPs will not be able to effect any policy change in the next parliament because they do not have the numbers to do so but they will have to be vocal and make their voices heard.
In his view, since Afenyo-Markin who is also Member of Parliament for Effutu has had some experience in the leadership in Parliament, he should be allowed to continue as the Minority Leader.
“I strongly believe in longevity and experience from our own actions and inactions. You can tell that when Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was the Minority Leader and Majority Leader, he stood out very clearly. But it did not happen by accident. He started as a Chief Whip and grew up to become a leader. The longevity brings experience and clarity so I would not support any request for a new person to be brought into the picture now. If you ask me, let Alexander Afenyo-Markin continue,” the outgoing Bekwai Lawmaker said during a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, December 18.
Joewise is not the only key person in the NPP calling for Afenyo-Markin to be Minority Leader.
Also making a similar comment, a Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Ernest Owusu-Bempah said that at this juncture, the NPP need aggressive leaders who understand the grassroots and their concerns. To that end, he has called for the Member of Parliament for Effutu and current Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin be appointed the Minority Leader in the next Parliament when the NPP forms a Minority.
Afenyo-Markin, he said, has all the attributes to lead the NPP Minority in the next Parliament.
“Afenyo-Markin should be the Minority Leader, we do not want any changes at all. We need a bold leader who understands the grassroots,” he told journalists in Accra on Monday, December 16.
The NPP lost the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections held on Saturday, December 7.
When Parliament reconvened on Monday, December 16, Afenyo-Markin served notice to the incoming Mahama administration that they would be kept on their toes by the NPP minority.
He wondered how the Mahama administration would raise revenue to fund its projects when it promised to remove taxes.
He says that Ghanaians are interested in seeing how the Mahama administration will protect the public purse.
Ahead of the 2024 general elections, National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Mr Mahama promised to scrap several taxes within his first 100 days in office, arguing that these taxes burdened Ghanaians.
The taxes include the e-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on betting, emissions levy, and import duty on vehicles and equipment imported for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, December 16, he said “We are going to see how you [pointing to NDC MPs] will protect the public purse, we have heard from Terkper that you can’t finance the free SHS. We will see where you will raise revenue to fund the Nkokor Nkitinkitin.”
Some analysts have also expressed similar sentiments.
For instance, Chief Executive Officer of Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson, raised concerns about how the incoming Mahama administration will generate revenue for development if it removes all the taxes it has promised to abolish.
Jackson highlighted the significant challenges in managing the economy, particularly with the manifesto pledge to remove certain taxes, including the e-levy.
Ahead of the 2024 general elections, National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate John Dramani Mahama promised to scrap several taxes within his first 100 days in office, arguing that these taxes burden Ghanaians. The taxes include the e-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on betting, emissions levy, and import duty on vehicles and equipment imported for industrial and agricultural purposes
Speaking on press on Friday, December 13, Jackson said, “Let us not be mistaken, in 2025, we have to look at how we are performing in terms of revenue because some of the items are going to go out. There has been a manifesto commitment to take out the e-levy, betting tax, the COVID levy. So a lot of issues are going to come out and I have no doubt in my mind that the challenge is going to be huge
He added, “You say you are going to remove tax A, B, C, D. But where is the money going to come from?”
When asked why anyone would want to be president in 2025 given the impending challenges, Jackson responded, “Because somebody has to step up and rule, somebody has to step up and fix the country, somebody has to step up.”
