With many people of political repute saying the former Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, deserved an honourable exit than the one he was given, Private legal practitioner, Martin Luther Kpebu, thinks the approach was “extremely embarrassing.”
The lawyer has condemned the manner with which the legislator was ‘ousted’ as Leader of the Majority in Parliament.
Like other opinion leaders, Martin Kpebu says it surprises him that the lawmaker had to hear of his reshuffle on the media, considering the number of years he has worked and served the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“It is extremely embarrassing that as Majority Leader you hear that you’re going to be sacked in the news. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu hears about his sacking in the news and you think that’s a joke? Is that how you’ll pay somebody for all the work he’s done? What’s the rush? What prevented the President or the party leaders from calling him ahead?” he quizzed.
The Suame lawmaker, after serving in the House for 27 years, and in the leadership ranks for 23 years, resigned from his position as Majority Leader after news of his reshuffle went viral on social and traditional media.
Many have described his resignation as a sack considering the circumstances surrounding it.
According to the lawyer, an interview granted by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu a.k.a. Joe Wise, on Accra-based Neat FM, disclosing that the Suame MP was not informed about the revoking of his appointment, as at the time it had been tabled as ‘Item 5‘ on the agenda of the party’s emergency National Executives Council (NEC) meeting, made him wonder if President Akufo-Addo had personal issues with Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
Speaking on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, February 24, 2024, Mr. Kpebu said after hearing Joe Wise making those comments, he had to call the host later for the audio to confirm if he heard Joe Wise right.
“Yesterday (Friday, February 23) in the morning, I monitored another station where Joe Wise gave an interview; he says at the time this agenda thing came about, nobody had spoken to Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, that’s what Joe Wise said, on Neat FM.
“Joe Wise was upset that as of this ‘agenda’ you talked about, he says that as of the time of the meeting they put that thing on the agenda, went to the meeting, then finally because of the backlash they couldn’t discuss it, he says as of that time, nobody had spoken to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu so I was like “what?”.
“So, yesternight, I decided to go get the clip to listen again. I spoke to the host just to be double sure. He (Joe Wise) said nobody spoke to Mensah Bonsu [and] I’m like “What?” What has Mensah-Bonsu done? Has he taken the President’s girlfriend or something?
What is the problem that you disgrace, embarrass a man so much like this. What has he done to deserve this embarrassment?” the renowned lawyer voiced out.
He said just as nothing untoward can be said about the venerable lawmaker, the NPP should have done better in replacing him than the way he was treated.
“You look at the constitution, you’ve not put him before any disciplinary committee, at least publicly we haven’t seen anything that he’s done so bad to deserve such a treatment,” he pointed.
Mr. Kpebu’s criticism of the approach is the latest amongst many that have come since the news of the then Majority Leader’s ousting became viral.
Whilst some opinion leaders and persons of political repute have suggested he deserved a more honourable farewell from the office, members of the ruling NPP say Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu resigned out of his free will, especially looking at the task ahead of him to help the party ‘Break the 8’.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu resigned because of his appointment as Manifesto Committee Chair – NPP MP
