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In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu revealed that the NPP wanted a leader from the Central region, following the appointment of Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson from the same region as the Minority Leader.

He emphasized that the NPP aimed to dominate and increase visibility in the region.

“President Mahama was yet to select his running mate, but we knew it would likely be Prof. Jean Naana Opoku-Agyemang, and Ato Forson had taken over from Haruna Iddrisu. The NPP felt our strength and performance had weakened in the Central region,” he explained.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who resigned on February 21, 2024, at a crucial meeting with former President Akufo-Addo and the NPP leadership at the Jubilee House, was succeeded by his then-Deputy Majority Leader and Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

Reflecting on his resignation, he expressed confidence in the decision, saying, “Per our constitution, the leader is chosen by the party people in parliament, not outside, but I didn’t want to drag issues or create problems.”

He added, “Time will tell if it was the right move. Maybe I will be blamed for the party’s defeat in the election, but that’s okay.”

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu left his position with a sense of peace, trusting that his decision was in the best interest of the party.

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Kwame Governs Agbodza expressed that the country has not been fair to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for the lack of completion of the Suame Interchange, especially considering the long service he has rendered to the nation.

This response came after a question posed by the MP for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Boamah, regarding the strategy Agbodza would adopt to handle abandoned road projects, particularly interchanges.

The MP for Adaklu and Minister nominee for Roads and Highways emphasized that there are numerous outstanding debts, but he intends to work with the relevant bodies to complete these projects.

He acknowledged the sector’s challenges, stating that while he was not enthusiastic about the debt situation, he would not give up but would seek solutions to address the problems.

He revealed that the sector faces a total raised certificate debt of GHS 35 billion.

In his statement to the Appointments Committee of Parliament, he assured that he would work to ensure timelines are met, delays are minimized, and quality projects are delivered.

He also mentioned that road tolls would be reintroduced but with enhanced technology to address delays and road jams caused by toll pavilions.

Regarding the previous government’s hasty cancellation of road tolls, Mr. Agbodza described it as “an act of illegality” and emphasized that the tolls must be reinstated.

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Formed by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Committee’s mandate is to gather input on potential amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

Addressing concerns about the timing, given the elections are just three months away, Mr Kyei-Mensah stressed that the electoral process would not disrupt the Committee’s activities.

“I have heard some people suggest that during an election year, there is little that can be done regarding constitutional amendments. With the greatest respect, I disagree. All the amendments to the 1992 Republican Constitution were made in 1996.

“Following the elections in November and December, the amendments were implemented in 1996. Therefore, I believe that time will not prevent us from continuing the consultations as planned.”

Source: Adomonline

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The Suame legislator in February of this year formally announced his resignation as Majority Leader, a position he held for over seven years.

Weeks later, he insists he resigned to save the New Patriotic Party from chaos.

“I was resigning to save the party; I was resigning to prevent any chaos in the party. That’s all that I can say.

But I think ever since I did, I have refused to speak to any station “

Mr. Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu who first entered Parliament as representative of the Old Tafo-Suame constituency in 1997, was first appointed secretary to the NPP Minority Caucus a year later.

He is the first parliamentarian to serve as Minority Leader for eight years and Majority Leader for over 7 years, respectively.

But what started as a ‘Palace Coup’ in Parliament saw Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu officially announcing his resignation after a meeting with President Akufo-Addo in February.

Despite 82 out of 137 MPs from the Majority caucus showing solidarity, he decided to resign from his position.

So why did the Suame legislator resign? Was he pushed? He told Joynews in an exclusive interview he wasn’t pushed out of his position.

“I resigned voluntarily. Nobody pushed me; nobody touched me, I resigned voluntarily. Looking ahead, I saw that even though 82 out of 137 MPs had come to show solidarity with me, I could see some gathering storm.”

Though the former Majority Leader will not give details, he insists he is happy his decision did not adversely affect the Bawumia presidential agenda, and also saved the New Patriotic Party from an impending storm.

“The major project ahead of us is breaking the 8. The project I believe in is having Bawumia to be elected as President of this country. Anything that would obstruct that; anything that would negatively impact that, I wouldn’t want to be part of it,” he said.

“I didn’t want to be the eye of the storm, so I pulled myself out. And the then impending storm is subsiding and I think it was the best decision that I took.” Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has officially announced his intention not to contest the Suame seat again after 28 years in parliament.

His journey began in 1997 when he entered Parliament at the age of 40, becoming the third youngest MP on the NPP side.

Despite not being initially appointed as a Spokesperson or Deputy Spokesperson, he worked his way up and earned the position of co-deputy spokesperson for Youth and Sports and Works and Housing, the only person to have been so recognized. He was also a strong voice on Lands and Forestry matters.

A non-lawyer back-bencher of the Caucus, he single-handedly wrote the Caucus’ Constitution/Rules which came to guide the conduct of the NPP members in Parliament.

He was so preoccupied with the success of the Parliamentary party that he was often assisting the then Minority Leader, the venerable J. H. Mensah. In recognition of that fact, J. H. Mensah appointed him as the Secretary to the NPP group in Parliament.

In recognition of his versatility, the then Speaker of Parliament nominated him to accompany him on several trips including a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) International Conference in New Zealand.

Indeed, in the 1997-2000 group, he was the face of Youth and Sports even though Mustapha Iddriss was the spokesperson; he was the face of Forestry matters even though Agyare Koi-Larbi was the spokesperson on Lands and Forestry; he was the face of Works and Housing even though Kwamena Bartels was the spokesperson.

In 2001 when the NPP won the Presidential and general elections, most people expected him to be named as the Minister for Youth and Sports, it went to Mallam Issah.

In the meantime, Kwamena Bartels, the then newly appointed Minister for Works and Housing was also strongly lobbying for him to be made his Deputy Minister. None of these happened under President Kufour.

At the beginning of 2001, that is the commencement of the 3rd Parliament of the 4th Republic, the Party, in consultation with the Parliamentary Leader, J. H. Mensah, appointed him as Deputy Majority Whip.

He rose to the position of Chief Whip after Abraham Ossei Aidoo moved from Chief Whip to Deputy Majority Leader under Hon. Felix Owusu Adjapong.

When Felix in 2007 announced his intention to contest for the Presidential Candidate of the NPP, he had to leave his position as Majority Leader. Ossei Aidooh replaced Felix Owusu Adjapong as the Majority Leader and Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu moved up to become the Deputy Majority Leader.

As the Deputy Whip, Chief Whip and Deputy Leader, all the Majority Leaders – J. H. Mensah, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Felix Owusu Adjapong and Ossei Aidooh all attest to the fact that Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was the one person who worked tirelessly to cover their backs.

Unsurprisingly, when the NPP lost power in 2008 and a new Parliament was ushered in, the NPP MPs in one accord, united behind him and had the party appoint him as the Minority Leader even though some elderly colleagues had been strenuously lobbying to be appointed as Minority Leader.

For the eight years Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu served as the Minority Leader, he distinguished himself and positioned the party as a credible alternative administration.

His advocacy was not propaganda but thorough, well-researched and very intellectual but at the same time, down-to-earth presentations.

His Leadership style was inclusive and unblemished, and that explains why when a group of the MPs resorted to subterfuge to change the Leader in 2013, their attempt was snuffed out by the larger group in Parliament working together with the central party under Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka, ‘’Sir John’’.

In the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential and General elections, the party suffered severe turbulence. It was as if the elected officers had positioned themselves against the victory of Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo, the hope of the vast majority of the party members.

It took the effort of the then Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and the then Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Prof. Mike Oquaye to rescue the party by causing and facilitating the holding of the Presidential Primaries which yet again resulted in the victory of Nana Akufo Addo.

If there was one group in the NPP which worked tirelessly, consistently and unrelentingly towards the victory of the NPP in the 2016 elections, it certainly was the NPP Minority Caucus under the Leadership of Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu through their activities in Parliament, the various information platforms including press conferences, lectures, symposia, television and radio interviews as well as other political engagements such as demonstrations.

Many of the Ministers, especially during the first chapter of the Nana Akufo Addo administration, before the advent of COVID-19, sponsored many revolutionary bills. The anchor person who smithed these Bills that Parliament passed is no other person than Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

Even in Minority in Parliament, he was the lead person in polishing bills that the government brought to Parliament for passage. The Attorneys-General in the NDC government all attest to this, and that is right from the time of Dr. Obed Asamoah. To Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, this is service to God and country.

In terms of parliamentary practice, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu knows something about every subject matter, be it education, local government, agriculture, health, works, housing, finance, energy, trade, industry, sports, forestry, you name it.

Indeed, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu serves as the loom for the party, and it is the reason why every morning, the various radio and television stations want to hear his views on literally every subject matter.

He has been the most principled and stoic defender of the cause of the party and government, in government and in opposition, which arguably no one else has done before. It is the reason why social communicators, especially, the uninitiated always target him for insults, not for any intellectual engagement, of course.

In all these matters which others would sprint away from or shield themselves, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has remained unperturbed, often quoting former Prime Minister Busia that, ‘’to become a successful politician in Africa one must have a large stomach to take in all manner of stuff, the good and the bad’’.

The contribution of Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu to our democracy is in the area of governance and that is where he stands tall.

In terms of complementarity, the attributes of Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu cannot be matched by anyone in Parliament now.

In the near-hung parliament, the diplomatic skills of the Majority Leader who leads a skin-of-the-teeth Majority Caucus, are admirable.

He is very intentional in bringing the emboldened Minority Caucus who have a sympathetic Speaker to cushion them, on board of major issues.

He is a tough nut when he needs to be, especially when he picks his points on issues relating to the constitution, various enactments, the practices and conventions of the House, and above all, the Standing Orders, gliding his way through suppositions, perceptions and plain farce. That is why the MPs see him as peerless.

The versatility of Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu became manifest when in the absence of a Finance Minister, (because en Ofori-Atta who had been nominated by the President had not been vetted and approved by Parliament and following the Constitution, the Finance Ministry did not yet have a Deputy Minister) he was authorised by the President to present the Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the year 2021. Parliament and the entire nation gave him a standing ovation for an impeccable delivery.

The Majority Leader and Leader of the House that Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has been for the past seven years, he has been a father, big brother and uncle to many of the MPs from both sides of the political divide.

It is why on any typical working day, his office experiences a constant stream of NPP and NDC members visiting for various reasons. The Majority Leader has patience for all of them. That is how harmony is kept in the House of Parliament.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has been used to harmonise relationships between MPs (on both sides) and MMDCEs as well as Regional Ministers. That is why the rancorous and acrimonious relationship that had existed between MPs, MMDCEs and Regional Minsters is gradually easing off.

The unifier that Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is, the Technical Committee that exists at the Ministry to input into bills is made up of both NPP and NDC members and the Nation is benefitting from that vehicle.

The Consultative Committee that has been put together by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs comprises all shades of political opinion and is working assiduously to holistically review the Constitution.

At the international level, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu rose to become the President of the Africa Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC). He served for two consecutive two-year terms, having first been elected in Kampala, Uganda and, for the Second term, in Ndjamena, Chad by his peers.

At the global level, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was elected as the Vice President of the Canada-based Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption. He served for a total period of 4-years as such and only recused himself when he was appointed a minister in the Nana Akufo Addo-led government in 2021.

Within the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) which is the world assembly of parliaments, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu gained the admiration of his associates when he got elected to chair one of the only four committees at the IPU, representing Africa.

Within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, he has for more than 15 years been an Executive member for the African Regional chapter.

Within CPA International, he has been an Executive Committee member for four years culminating in his election to serve as Acting Vice Chairman for two years and substantive Vice Chairman for an additional year.

Even though a non-lawyer, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was charged with the responsibility of reviewing the constitutions of APNAC and GOPAC which amendments were subsequently unanimously approved by the respective plenary of the two associations.

In reviewing the constitutions of both CPA, Africa Region and CPA International, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has played crucial roles.

Charity, it is said, begins at home. It is worthy to note that Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has played a very pivotal role in reviewing the Standing Orders of Parliament which the House may soon adopt and implement.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was the first to identify Dr Bawumia as the successor to President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo. He was the first to step out and to stick his neck out for him. That attracted punches from the then potential aspirants including, in particular, Boakye Agyarko. Many chose to remain in their shells.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was the one who mooted the idea about three years ago that the party should build consensus on a Bawumia-Alan ticket (he was not thinking of himself). Nana Akomea was later to retail the idea. He was also lampooned. If people who matter in the party had taken the matter up!

Rumors were rife about the potential removal of Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, to be replaced by his Deputy, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

In fact, the National Council and NEC meeting of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday had this change as an agenda. However, no decision was taken.

Addressing journalists in Parliament, a group of NPP MPs led by First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu warned that no change will be countenanced.

“We have no intention to change our leadership, disregard rumours of any change, reports going round are false. The majority has not made any changes and so we want to tell Ghanaians that the leadership of the majority caucus has not changed. No one outside Parliament can change our leadership. They have led us effectively and we must stand with them” the Bekwai MP said.

According to him, they are satisfied with the work of the current leadership led by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

Mr. Osei Owusu underscored the need for the Majority to be focused and united to address legislative matters and pursue the government’s agenda.

“We are confident in the leadership that we have and the status quo shall remain,” he added.

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The Majority leader is worried if this situation does not stop, the country’s democracy will be at risk.

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu reveals that some party executives demand cars and landed properties from them before the primaries.

The Majority leader said such incidents of vote-buying, which come with demands for cars and lands during elections in the country, must be totally condemned.

He made this known during a leadership engagement with the Parliamentary Press Corps.

He added that, it would be unwise for MPs who failed to secure victory in their parliamentary primaries to exhibit apathy towards parliamentary business.

“My own proposition is that the parties should introspect and perhaps scrap this thing as it is in established democracies. If we want to continue to live with this communist arrangement then, we will perhaps have to go further downstream to enable every card-bearing member of the party to vote” the Majority leader added.

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The senior national team has come under pressure following the back-to-back defeats against Mexico and USA in the October international friendly games.

Ghana lost 2-0 to the CONCACAF champions before a 4-0 defeat to the US Men’s national team.

According to Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, two or three players can no longer contribute effectively to the national team.

“Few Black Stars players, in my opinion, have exceeded their usefulness. I think we should replace those guys because from what I’ve seen roughly two or three, they don’t measure up to par” he said in an interview on Kumasi-based Akoma FM.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu however expressed confidence in the national team’s coach, Chris Hughton, highlighting the wealth of emerging talent at their disposal.

He suggested that, these up-and-coming stars could serve as suitable replacements for those players deemed less impactful.

“The coach has numerous up-and-coming stars that he can choose from as their replacement,” he added. 

The Black Stars will be reassembled later this month to prepare for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Madagascar on Friday, November 17, before travelling to face Comoros four days later.

Ghana aims to secure victories in these games as they set their sights on a fifth World Cup appearance before heading to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January.

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According to him, the heckling was a result of some ‘gross misinformation’ concerning an issue he had responded to on a Kumasi-based radio station.

“Well, somebody had raised an issue that I had said that if a person obtained 70% of the votes, then there shouldn’t be any second round. It was gross misinformation that was being peddled because I had not said so anywhere,” he said.

He explained that what had been reported to the delegates was a misinterpretation of what he had said at the radio station, and clarified same.

“I was at Abusua FM and one of the key supporters of Alan I was told had been at Abusua and she’s called Hilda Addo. Kwadwo Marfo is the host there, so he was the one who told me the woman has said that if a person garnered 90, 95% then the rest of them should have a rethink and asked me what I thought about it.

“And I said well, our constitution provides that if there are five people there should be a rerun involving the five who come atop, however, if that is the principle that she’s espousing then even why the figure 90-95% and not 70%?” he said.

He continued, “If anybody could garner 70% it will then mean the person has really secured for himself a head start and he’s in an unassailable lead. And I quickly added, even if we come out with five of them there will be a person in the lead so we have them together with the person in the lead making five. So, out of the four if three indicate that ‘well we’re bowing out’ and one doesn’t, there would still have to be a rerun. So I said that is the position of the constitution.

“I don’t think that the four of them who will follow after the person who emerges first will bow out so the constitution should be allowed to play out. That’s what I said.”

The majority leader said he was disturbed by the heckling “because I thought it was sheer pedestrianism and people were contriving to bring violence so I ignored them because there was no truth in that.”

The Suame MP says the chief’s remarks on James Gyakye Quayson’s case might prevent his promotion to the Supreme Court. 

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, who disagrees with the Dormaahene’s call for the state to discontinue the criminal trial of the Assin North MP-elect, said such utterances cannot be made by a sitting judge.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu wondered if he would have advocated for a discontinuation had the case been a murder trial. 

Speaking in an interview with Pure FM, on Monday, July 3, he advised him to tread carefully when it comes to such matters. 

“The Dormaahene is a respected chief and a distinguished judge, as such his comments are not ordinary but I must say that I disagree with him on the call to drop Quayson’s case.

“We are talking about constitutional matters here. Is it the case of the chief that he would call for same to be discontinued if it was a murder charge or any other?

“Is the respected chief saying that if someone flouts the law, we should let it go? I disagree. I think he should come out to explain further.

“He is a judge, is it his position that should the case be before him, he would have rejected or made similar utterances?” he quizzed.

“It is right for us all to allow the law to run its due process and course. We can ask the question whether the State has a case or not but beyond that, we cannot abuse the process.

“As an Appeals Court Judge, he is a potential candidate to the Supreme Court. Comments like this might haunt and affect the chance when posed to him at vetting. I disagree with him,” he concluded.

Background

The chief who doubles as President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs says he disagrees with the initial ruling made by the Supreme Court, which declared Gyakye Quayson’s parliamentary position invalid due to his dual citizenship status.

“He [Gyakye Quayson] said he was not willing to stay in Canada, he dropped his citizenship and returned to Ghana to help. When he got here, he had a bit of a challenge and the Supreme Court ruled that his mandate as an MP should be nullified,” he stressed.

He made these comments during the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday, July 1.

Addressing the gathering, the Dormaahene made it clear that he would have taken a divergent stance if he had been part of the panel deciding on the matter.

“Some of us were not happy with that. If I were on the Supreme Court, I would have gone left and not the right,” he said.

His comment comes after Mr Quayson won the Parliamentary polls despite being ousted from Parliament by the Court and his name expunged from the House’s records.

Mr Quayson is facing charges of forgery and perjury in relation to certain alleged offences in the lead-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.

He pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.

But Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II is urging the Attorney-General to drop the criminal charges against Mr Quayson, the Member of Parliament-elect for Assin North.

“When the man had his name expunged from Parliament, didn’t they go to vote again? Was he voted for or not? Didn’t he get an overwhelming majority, 57.56%, is that a mere victory?”

“As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision and abort the criminal case against Mr Quayson,” the Dormaahene added.

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Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the comments made by Ms. Safo are unfortunate.

The Dome-Kwabenya MP, in a Facebook post on Sunday, July 17, opened up about the ordeal she is facing in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

She stated categorically that she has become a victim of a sustained political witch-hunt by certain elements in the NPP and in Parliament for their own parochial goals.

But madam Safo expressed shock about how she is being treated differently by people, including members of her party for staying away from official duty in order to attend to personal issues involving her child.

According to her, during her time as the Deputy Majority Leader in the erstwhile Parliament, she did same for a colleague who was in a similar position.

But the Majority Leader said madam Safo cannot blame them since all attempts to get her have proven futile.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu revealed that he personally has sent several messages to his colleague without any response. 

He opined that fewer ministers than currently exist, will lower the pressure on the public purse.

Speaking at a public lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Tuesday, he explained that based on the 1992 Constitution, the President is mandated to appoint up to only nineteen cabinet ministers.

These cabinet ministers are subsequently required to assist the President in the formulation of policies and principles to govern the country. Under this constitutional arrangement, ministers who are not cabinet ministers do not get the opportunity to sit at the table of decision making.

The Majority Leader therefore posited that there is no need to appoint many ministers, when only nineteen cabinet ministers are actually needed to decide on government policies.

“The Constitution provides in Article 76(1), that there shall be a cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice President and not more than nineteen ministers of state.

Given the role of cabinet ministers, that is for running the state efficiently and assisting the President in the determination of policy of his government, it is my contention that apart from regional ministers, the number of central government ministers may not have to exceed 19 as contained in the Constitution.

And that means ministries shall also not have to exceed 19. All ministers to be relevant and to be able to assist in the evolution and determination of policies in their sectors, must be cabinet ministers.

The excess numbers must be cut off and that will significantly reduce public expenditure. For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution must provide for that”, he explained.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also added that there is the need for the state to consider competent individuals to man various ministerial positions. This he said, will help in the development of the country at large.

The call by the Majority Leader comes at a time, when concerns are already rife about the need for government to reduce the number of ministers.

Currently, Ghana has about 123 ministers of state. This has generated widespread criticisms with calls for government to reduce the number.

However in a response to a similar suggestion, President Akufo-Addo explained that, there are a lot of issues to address, hence the need for more hands.

But some civil society organisations have disagreed with the President’s explanation; arguing that the increase in ministers drains the state coffers.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, presented the 2022 budget before Parliament with an electronic levy inclusive.

However, the Minority group in parliament, stakeholders as well as some other Ghanaians have opposed the levy.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who doubles as the Majority Leader, has conceded that they underestimated the strength and resistance of the Minority group, believing that the introduction of a new levy may come with a little bit of resistance from the public.

“Maybe we underestimated the strength and the resistance of the opposition. In any human institution people really do not come out openly to embrace the imposition of taxes. So, we thought that yes there will be some resistance it’s been a new levy, a new tax. Maybe we did underestimate the resistance and the opposition,” he said on TV3.

The green coloured cake designed to spell the word ‘E-LEVY’ stole the spotlight at the just ended celebration.

However, the cake was met with severe backlash from social media users who described it as “crass” and “insensitive” considering the overwhelming opposition to the proposed tax which is being pushed through Parliament by the Majority side.

In response, Mr Osei, who is also Ranking Member on Roads, explained that the cake was the handiwork of the Minority group.

In a Facebook post, he stated that the cake was presented by the Minority Caucus “to the Majority Leader on behalf of their Caucus and kept the pictures all this while and decided to release them ahead of the planned ‘Yentua Demonstration’ to ruffle the feathers of Ghanaians to get them more angry at government.”

Below is his post: