The Acting Clerk to Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, has announced that the Ninth Parliament of Ghana will hold its first sitting on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. The session, scheduled for 12:05 a.m. at Parliament House in Accra, will focus on the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers. During this inaugural sitting, the administration of oaths to the Speaker and Members of Parliament will also take place.
In an official notice, Djietror stated: “KNOW YE ALL MEN that in the exercise of the Powers conferred on the Clerk to Parliament, I, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Acting Clerk to Parliament, appointed under Article 124 of the Constitution and pursuant to Order 8(2) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, do hereby appoint Parliament House, Accra, to be the place and five minutes past twelve midnight (12:05 a.m.) of Tuesday, the 7th day of January 2025 to be the time when Parliament shall sit to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speakers and for the administration of Oaths to the Speaker and Members of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
This session marks a pivotal moment as Parliament prepares to begin its legislative work under the leadership of President-elect John Dramani Mahama. As the date approaches, debates have intensified over whether the incoming administration will retain the current Speaker, Alban Bagbin, or opt for a new candidate.
The Majority Leader of the Eighth Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has voiced his opinion that the next Speaker should be an elected Member of Parliament (MP), underscoring the importance of parliamentary expertise. He emphasized, “Mr Speaker, if they sack you, Mr. Speaker, of all that you have done for them, they are going to sack you. If they decide to retain you, the happiness of this House will gather further momentum. However, if the new government decides to bring in a new Speaker, that Speaker should come from within. We don’t want an outsider. We want somebody from within who would understand us.”
This first sitting of the Ninth Parliament is expected to set the tone for the legislative direction of the country as the Mahama administration begins its new term. With the election of the Speaker and Deputies, the session will lay the foundation for the political and legislative agenda in the coming years. As Ghana embarks on a new political chapter, the decisions made in this session will play a crucial role in shaping the nation’s future.
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