The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Fifi Kwetey has formally notified Parliament of the appointment of the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, James Agalga as Majority Leader.
This is contained in a letter dated August 24, addressed to the Speaker of Parliament.
“I write on behalf of the Leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to formally inform you that, following consultations between the Leadership of the Party and the Presidency, Hon. James Agalga, Member of Parliament for Builsa South Constituency, has been appointed as the new Majority Leader of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana,” Mr Kwetey wrote.
Mr Agalga replaces Mr Mahama Ayariga who has been nominated as the Minister Designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
The NDC’s General Secretary said, “The appointment takes effect immediately and is intended to provide the necessary leadership and coordination for the NDC Majority Caucus in Parliament as it continues to discharge its constitutional and parliamentary responsibilities.
“The NDC Leadership is confident that, with the cooperation of the Rt. Hon. Speaker and all Members of Parliament, Hon. James Agalga will provide the leadership necessary to advance the work of Parliament in the supreme interest of the Republic,” the General Secretary stated.
This letter comes after the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, pointed to an error in the means by which the House was earlier informed about Mr Agalga’s appointment as Majority Leader.
Reading a letter received from President Mahama, Speaker Bagbin said, it was a mistake for the President to have nominated Mr Agalga.
“… the President does not have authority to communicate the change in leadership. It was done in error,” Bagbin stated.
According to him, “Majority Leader means a Member of Parliament designated by the caucus as their Leader in the House. Party does the communication through the General Secretary.”
The Speaker of Parliament therefore ruled that Mr Agalga will assume the position in an acting capacity.
“So, Ayariga will continue to occupy the seat until Party communicates and caucus accepts same,” he added.
It is recalled that on August 7, 3News sources indicated that the Chairperson of the Defence and Interior Committee and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga, has been informed by the NDC General Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey and the outgoing Majority Leader that he will be the next leader of government business in Parliament.
This followed the nomination of Mahama Ayariga to the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
President Mahama also nominated Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings as Minister designate of Environment, Science and Technology.
This announcement was contained in a press release issued by the Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu on August 7.
The Works and Housing Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei has been reassigned to Ministry of Defense.
This is the first ministerial reshuffle in President John Dramani Mahama’s second term in office.
Profile of James Agalga
Political experience
· Four-term NDC Member of Parliament for Builsa North, having served in the 6th, 7th, 8th and current 9th Parliaments.
· Served as Deputy Minister for the Interior under President John Mahama, giving him direct executive experience in Ghana’s internal security sector. Parliamentary records show him serving in that role by 2015.
· Currently, he is Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, overseeing defence, policing, immigration, prisons, fire services and other internal-security agencies.
· Previously served as Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee during the NDC’s period in opposition.
· Also currently serves on the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, is Ranking Member on the Human Rights Committee, and sits on the Special Committee on Winnowing.
·Professionally, he is a lawyer and has worked as Managing Partner of Law Temple, as well as with the Centre for Public Interest Law.
· LLB — University of Ghana, 2002.
· Barrister-at-Law — Ghana School of Law, 2004.
· MA in Conflict, Peace and Security — Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), 2018.
· LLM — University of Ghana, completed in 2023.
Meanwhile, Speaker Bagbin has referred the nominations of Mahama Ayariga and Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings for ministerial roles to Appointments Committee for consideration and report.
The Appointments Committee has also been tasked to vet Justices Sophia Bernasko Essah, Edward Amoako Asante and Tony Forson this week to be approved for appointment to Supreme Court.
