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Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana

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The Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana is the presiding officer of the Parliament of Ghana. The current speaker, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, was sworn-in as Speaker of the Eight Parliament of Ghana on 7 January 2021.[1]

History

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Joyce Bamford-Addo, First female Speaker of Parliament of Ghana

The office of the Speaker was first created in the then Gold Coast, under the Gold Coast(Constitution) Order in Council, 1950. Subsequent constitutions have provided for the election of the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana.[2]

The first speaker of the Parliament of Ghana was Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist who was Speaker of the National Assembly in 1951. He stayed at post till December 1957, a few months after Ghana gained independence.

Prior to Ghana's independence, the Governor of Ghana presided over the legislative council. This changed in 1949 when Emmanuel Quist became its first African president.[3] The Legislative Council elected Quist as its first speaker in 1951.

Under the fourth republic, the longest serving speaker of parliament is Daniel Francis Annan who served from 7 January 1993 to 6 January 2001. In January 2009, Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo became the first female speaker of the Ghanaian parliament.[4]

Appointment and Tenure of Office

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Article 95 of the 1992 Ghana constitution provides that, the election of a speaker shall be from among the members of parliament or from persons who are qualified to be members of parliament. Where the speaker is elected from among the members of parliament, Article 97 of the constitution specifies that the Speaker vacates his or her seat in Parliament, triggering a by-election.[5] The only person to have been in this position so far is Edward Adjaho who was the elected member for the then Akatsi South constituency.[6][7]

Deputy Speaker

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There are two Deputy Speakers who are elected from among the members of parliament by the members. Both deputy speakers cannot be from the same political party.[5] Currently, the Deputy Speakers are the MP for Bekwai, Joseph Osei-Owusu, of the New Patriotic Party and MP for Fomena, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, an Independent MP.[8]

Role

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Article 101 of the Ghana Constitution stipulates that the Speaker presides at all sittings of parliament. Where the speaker is not able to do so, one of the two deputies presides. No parliamentary business can take place without the speaker in the chair.

The Office of the Speaker is the third highest office in Ghana after the president and vice president . Hence, the speaker may act on behalf of the president if neither the president nor the vice president is able to do so. The 1992 constitution stipulates that there should be an election within three months of the speaker assuming the presidency due to the death or removal of the president and vice president. The Speaker does not have a vote in parliament. This means that when the votes are tied, the motion is lost. The Speaker is also the chairman of the parliamentary Service Board. Additionally, the Speaker appoints four other members to this board. The sixth member of the board is the Clerk of Parliament.[5]

List of speakers

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Legislative Council of the Gold Coast

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President Time frame Period
Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist 1949 - 1951[3] Gold Coast

National Assembly of the Gold Coast

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Speaker Time frame Period
Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist 1951 - 1957 Gold Coast

Parliament of Ghana

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Speaker Time frame Period
Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist March 1957 - December 1957[9] National Assembly
Augustus Molade Akiwumi[10] February 1958 - June 1960 National Assembly
Joseph Richard Asiedu July 1960 - June 1965 1st Republic
Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta[10] June 1965 - February 1966 1st Republic
Nii Amaa Ollennu[10] October 1969 - January 1972 2nd Republic
Jacob Hackenbug Griffiths-Randolph September 1979 - December 1981 3rd Republic
Daniel Francis Annan[11] January 1993 - January 2001 4th Republic
(1st and 2nd parliaments)
Peter Ala Adjetey[12] January 2001 - January 2005 4th Republic
(3rd parliament)
Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes[13] January 2005 - January 2009 4th Republic
(4th parliament)
Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo[14] January 2009 - January 2013 4th Republic
(5th parliament)
First female Speaker
Edward Adjaho January 2013[15] - January 2017 4th Republic
(6th parliament)
Aaron Mike Oquaye January 2017[16] - January 2021 4th Republic
(7th parliament)
Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin January 2021[17][1][18] - Incumbent 4th Republic

(8th parliament)

Demographics

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Speaker Ethnicity Religious affiliatiom
Emmanuel Charles Quist Euro-African/ Ga Presbyterian[19][20]
Augustus Molade Akiwumi Yoruba Anglican (later Christian Scientist)
Joseph Richard Asiedu Akuapem (Akan) Presbyterian
Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta Akyem (Akan) Presbyterian
Nii Amaa Ollennu Ga Presbyterian[21]
Jacob Hackenburg Griffiths-Randolph Ga Anglican
Daniel Francis Annan Ga Methodist
Peter Ala Adjetey Ga Anglican
Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes Fante (Akan) Anglican
Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo English/Ga Roman Catholic
Edward Adjaho Avenor Ewe Christian
Aaron Mike Oquaye Ga Baptist
Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin Dagaaba Roman Catholic

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Gyesi, Zadok Kwame (7 January 2021). "I will serve all Ghanaians faithfully – Bagbin". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Progress in the Colonies, 1940s-1950s". Janus. Cambridge University Library. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Speaker assures Fifth Parliament of diligence". Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb. 30 November 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Ghana's Constitution of 1992 with Amendments through 1996" (PDF). www.fao.org. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Akatsi South Constituency by-election fixed for Feb 5". Political news. Ghana Home Page. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  7. ^ "NDC's Ahiafor wins Akatsi South bye-election". Ghana Home Page. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Leadership of Parliament". Official website of the Parliaemnt of Ghana. Parliament of Ghana. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  9. ^ Michael R. Doortmont, The Pen-Pictures of Modern Africans and African Celebrities by Charles Francis Hutchison: A Collective Biography of Elite Society in the Gold Coast Colony, Brill, 2005, p. 359
  10. ^ a b c "Rt. Hon. Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes". Parliament of Ghana. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ "Daniel Francis Annan Profile". Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Peter Ala Adjetey Profile". Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes Profile". Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo Profile". Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Adjaho sworn in as new Speaker". Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  16. ^ "New Speaker, MPs take oath". Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  17. ^ Carrey, Kelvin (7 January 2021). "Alban Bagbin elected Speaker of 8th Parliament". 3NEWS. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  18. ^ "NPP shocked as Alban Bagbin is elected Speaker of Parliament". www.ghanaweb.com. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  19. ^ Miller, Jon (22 May 2014). Missionary Zeal and Institutional Control: Organizational Contradictions in the Basel Mission on the Gold Coast 1828-1917. Routledge. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-136-87625-7.
  20. ^ Aggrey, Joe (12 June 1998). Graphic Sports: Issue 670 June 12 - 15 1998. Graphic Communications Group.
  21. ^ "Proceedings". 27 September 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
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Order of precedence
Preceded by Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana Succeeded by
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