The Parliamentary Service has debunked claims alleging that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has appointed Kofi Attor to serve as the acting Speaker.
Contained in a statement issued on Monday, March 14, 2022 the Service revealed that such reports are misleading and, therefore, should be dismissed accordingly. It explained that Kofi Attor is a former Member of Parliament who currently works in the “Speaker’s Secretariat” as Senior Advisor. The statement indicated that the Speaker assigns responsibility to him and staff of his Secretariat from time to time.
“In all these, he has never been assigned responsibility as acting Speaker, and those who caused the publication know this. In the instance under reference, Mr Attor was assigned to receive a message, intended for the Speaker, from a delegation of Medicine Sans Frontières, an international medical humanitarian organisation”.
Parliamentary Service
According to the statement, the assignment undertaken on behlaf of the Speaker cannot make him the acting Speaker of Parliament. It further pointed out that the delegation of Medicine Sans Frontières (MSF), of which Kofi Attor received its letter was in “parliament primarily to meet” with the leadership and the Health Committee of Parliament, which they did.
“The said publication is just one of the mischievous attempts to court public disaffection and ridicule for the Speaker and bring him into disrepute. Therefore, the public is advised to ignore the mischief that was intended”.
Parliamentary Service
Prior to this, some reports suggested that Alban Bagbin had appointed Mr Attor to act in his stead by receiving visitors in his absence. The reports further indicated that the Speaker overlooked his First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu who doubles as MP for Bekwai and MP for Fomena, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, an Independent MP to appoint Kofi Attor, to represent him in a meeting with an international organization, Medecins San Frontiers (MSF).
Alleged information depicting Kofi Attor made Speaker of parliament
Per an alleged memo from the Head of Parliamentary Relations and Protocols to Majority and Minority Leaders, Chairman of Health Committee and Ranking Member, Health Committee, MSF was paying a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament who was out of the country to receive medical attention. It stated that the meeting was to be held on Thursday, 10th March 2022 at 11:00 am at the Speaker’s lounge, 12th floor of job 600.
Following this, the memo suggested that the Head of parliamentary relations was subsequently directed by the Clerk of Parliament to invite the Majority Leader, Minority leader, Chairman and Ranking Members of the Health Committee to “join Kofi Attor in receiving the guests”.
“On behalf of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Kofi Attor will host Medecins San Frontiers (MSF), an Independent International Medicinal humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency assistance in more than sixty five countries to people affected [in] armed conflicts, epidemic, natural or man-made disasters as well as exclusion from health care. I have therefore been directed by the Clerk of Parliament to respectfully invite you, Hon. Majority Leader, Hon. Minority leader, Chairman and Ranking Members of the Health Committee to join Kofi Attor in receiving the guests as scheduled”.
Parliamentary relations
Alban Bagbin’s office had earlier denied reports that he travelled with his children to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in seeking medical care. It was reported that the Speaker was on $1000 per diem, a day while his other members of entourage were pocketing $800, an allegation the speaker had deflated without providing the details of amount of per diem being paid. The statement revealed that the Speaker did not travel to Dubai with his children as is being alleged.
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