Alban Bagbin is the Speaker of Parliament
It’s been almost a week since the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, showed up for business in parliament on the first day of sitting for the year in a fashion style that has gotten many talking endlessly.
With the headlines reading, “Speaker Bagbin ‘drips’ in
Read full article.Kente and crown to parliament,” the Speaker of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic lived up to his own words of ditching the traditional Speaker’s Cloak from 2022.
That first day traditional kente cloth over a white short-sleeved shirt and a matching chief crown, and hanging gold chain from his neck, was more than enough to sustain the cheers and the jeers that have since met this new style.
And it must be stated that this is the first time any Speaker of Parliament has entered the Chamber dressed like that.
The trend followed throughout the week but not everyone has been particularly welcoming of this new choice of fashion by Alban Bagbin.
In this GhanaWeb listicle, we look at two of each of the people who have hailed and those who have expressed worrying concerns about the Speaker’s new style.
We begin with those who were happy about the change:
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko
One of the first major personalities who commended Alban Bagbin on his new look was a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
In a tweet, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko expressed excitement at what he had seen, adding that it makes the leader of parliament look “culturally, representatively cool!”
He was however quick to add that he hopes, by this new look of the Speaker, he would not begin to exact kingly thoughts in his leadership.
“I kinda like it! Original! Culturally, representatively cool! So long as he doesn’t get majestically carried away with kingly thoughts and behaviour,” he tweeted.
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor
One of the people who was extremely happy about the way the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, looked on the first day of sitting for the year was the Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor.
In two subsequent tweets, he expressed his joy at seeing the head of parliament looking so traditional.
Here are two other people who expressed their misgivings about the new fashion style of the Speaker of Parliament:
Kwesi Pratt Jnr
The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, expressed shock at the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for ditching his official outfit for a traditional outfit on the first day of the second session of the 8th Parliament.
According to him, the Speaker of Parliament presiding over proceedings of the House on Tuesday, dressed like a chief from the Volta region, intended to distract the important and major issues of the day.
He described the event of Tuesday, January 25, as a “complete spectacle” whilst making a submission on Metro TV’s ‘Good Morning Ghana’ programme on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.
“I was really shocked when I saw the footage from Parliament; I was completely shocked,” Kwesi Pratt Jnr told the host, Randy Abbey.
“What happened in Parliament yesterday [Tuesday] was a spectacle, complete spectacle and intended to distract from the important and major issues of the day,” he added.
Kwamena Duncan
A former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, said the Speaker was joking with parliament.
He cautioned him to act like a Speaker.
"Alban Bagbin Rt. Hon., after being elected, very initially; he showed very wonderful signs. He's going to be a firm Speaker, a Speaker that will not be non-partisan but will not be neutral either just like Adjetey. But I have observed him for a while now, he's trivializing the Parliament.
"It does not portray a good image, a good picture of the Legislature at all but having said that, he himself (Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin), Mr. Speaker, you are talking too much . . . In the left, he's speaking. In the right, he's speaking. Everywhere! My goodness!! So, Alban Bagbin is not helping the situation," he stated.
