An Open Letter to Professor Yaw Gyampo (A31, Suro Nipa House, Kubease, Larteh-Akuapim)
Dear Prof,
I have taken the time to read your letter to the majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. Honestly, after reading your epistle several times these are my conclusion to expose your one-sided story which indicates that, you are a true NDC member as said by the majority leader.
Firstly, what do you (Prof Gyampoh) know about consensus-building in Parliament that Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is not doing? The Majority Leader has related to several meetings at personal levels with his counterpart the Minority Leader, something that Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu insists never happened to him in his 8(Eight) years as Minority Leader then.
The Majority Leader has related to several meetings with the Expanded Leadership, both sides of the Leadership in the House of Parliament. Something that never even happened at the time of the NDC. That is nothing for Prof Gyampoh the political scientist.
Again, the Majority Leader has alluded to meetings that he has arranged between the entire Leadership of Parliament and the President. The NDC under both Prof Mills and John Mahama never had a single meeting with the Leadership of Parliament.
To Professor Gyampoh, the all-knowing Political Science lecturer believes that doesn’t matter but rather Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu must be sleeping on the job? If that is objective analysis according to the all-knowing Professor then defining subjective rationalisation must be a herculean assignment for him !!
Also, it is not the Majority Leader who grants leave of absence to Members Of Parliament but rather the Speaker of Parliament. For Ministers who travel outside, it is the Chief of Staff and NOT the Majority Leader who permits them. I thought Prof Gyampoh, the knowing Political Science lecturer knew this, yet he chooses to count it as a failure on the part of the Majority Leader. Incredulous!
Moreover, what your criteria for assessing your hawks and doves in the Chamber? Go for the parliamentary Hansard, if you care, Prof Gyampoh? Check the language of Hon Haruna Iddrissu on the then Speaker, Prof Oquaye; have you forgotten when the current Speaker, Rt Hon ASK Bagbin went berserk on the Speaker Peter Ala Adjetey declaring that the Speaker is behaving like a tin god and he (Bagbin) was going to “go after him”.
Prof Gyampoh were you in Ghana? So what is the “hawkish tendencies” about Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, if it is not because to all intents and purposes you love to hate him. No, judgment has not fled to brutish beasts yet.
Furthermore, Prof, I agree with you that you must “scrutinise existing regimes” but such scrutiny comes out better when you compare regimes, otherwise you present just one side of the coin, and that may amount to intellectual dishonesty, regardless of whatever pretenses.
In conclusion, Criticising to improve our government should be embraced by all, but whereas you may not be neutral, you have a responsibility to be objective and impartial. Those of us watching are intellectual enough to sift the wheat from the chaff, as simple as that.
I thank you for your attention and God Bless.
Kwabena Frimpong
Sebo Po Suro Consult
Youth Activist
Kumasi
