Minority leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has disclosed that the performance of a person as a minority leader in parliament is not dependent on that person being a lawyer.

According to him, the issue of whether he is a lawyer and the fact that if one is not a lawyer, he cannot be a Minority Leader shouldn’t be the case. To this end, he emphasized that despite not having any legal background he is capable of fulfilling the mandate of a minority leader.

“I mean, the honorable Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is not a lawyer. He was a Minority Leader for eight years and a Majority Leader for six years and counting… He has discharged himself, and everybody knows what he can and cannot do… So, it doesn’t have to be that you should be a lawyer before you perform.”
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson

Addressing the press corps, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu, equally emphasized that the best leaders Parliament has had so far were mostly non-lawyers. The leadership of both sides in Parliament rejected the notion that the new Minority Leader, Casiel Ato Forson, will not be able to perform because he lacks expertise in law.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu concurred that the performance of the Minority Leader has nothing to do with being a lawyer. He explained that the requirements for evaluating leadership are competency and versatility.

“If you are a leader, you must know something about everything, because when people have spoken, you must be doing the encapsulation, because if you do not know, you will be found wanting.”
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu cited some past leaders of Parliament who performed remarkably during their tenure in office, despite not being lawyers.

“If you’re talking about leaders that this fourth Republic has seen, certainly, you cannot write off J.H Mensah. I mean he stands very tall; an economist, a finance person and he distinguished himself. Owusu Acheampong, not a lawyer, [he was an] agriculturist, he was a master of the rules of procedure. Kwabena Adjei came in with his own strength.
“We had three lawyers in succession, Alban, Avoka, and Kumbuor [and] their strengths are captured in the Hansard. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, not a Lawyer, not an economist, not a finance man, I believe in all humility that I can stand on my ground in every subject matter. That is what is required of a leader.”
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Minority leader assures NDC caucus to deliver on responsibility

Meanwhile, the minority leader has assured the NDC Caucus of his determination to deliver on the oversight responsibility in parliament. He stated that the current economic situation required that the minority exercises scrutiny on government policies to ensure proper accountability.

Addressing the floor of Parliament as a first-time Minority leader, Dr Forson explained that his side is all charged up to deliver and ensure that public officials and institutions perform their duties.

“Mr Speaker, I can say with all the confidence that I can muster that we, on the minority side, mean business and we are up to the task. We are simply unwilling to countenance any more bad governance.
“We will insist on the highest level of performance from all government officials and institutions over whom this parliament has oversight jurisdictions. We are unwilling to be part of any negligence of duty of any sort neither shall we tolerate any lackadaisical attitude towards the work of this House by public officials.”
Cassiel Ato Forson

The Minority leader emphasized that he would maintain the highest form level of vigilance and offer intense scrutiny of government programs, policies, agreements, bills and legislative instrument.

“This is our solemn pledge as the minority caucus under my leadership to the people of Ghana.”
Cassiel Ato Forson

Recounting the Finance Minister’s promise of government’s ability to run the affairs of the state without seeking assistance from external sources, Dr Forson stated that the finance minister has not lived up to his promise, therefore Ghanaians were counting on the Minority to hold them accountable.

He however assured the majority side of the House of the minority’s willingness to collaborate on policy and decisions which are in the interest of the Ghanaian people.