Speaker is not keen for position in next Parliament - Avoka

Ghanaians have been reminded that it is the prerogative of the President to do a stakeholder consultation, and nominate someone for approval by Parliament to become Speaker of the next Parliament.

Cletus Apul Avoka, the Majority Leader in Parliament, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Wednesday.

He said that the Majority and Minority in Parliament have not met as a caucus to decide on who should become the next Speaker of Parliament.

Mr Avoka said that Joycelyn Bamford Addo, current Speaker of Parliament, at the age 75 is not keen in maintaining the office.

Speculations are rife with regards to who becomes the Speaker of the next Parliament, and names of Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, current First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ken Dzirasah, a former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and

Dr Obed Asamoah, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, have come up.

Mr Avoka said he did not know anyone in Parliament who has been tipped for the position.

Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, Ghana has witnessed the swearing in of four Speakers.

They were the late Justice D. F. Annan (1994-2001), the late Mr Peter Ala Adjetey (2001-2005), Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes (2005-2009) and Mrs Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, (2009 to date).