Afenyo-Markin Chairs Parliamentary Friendship Committee

Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has been made Chairman of the 11-member Management Committee of Parliamentary Friendship Associations of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

The Parliamentary Friendship Association is a cross-party association of legislators established to promote continued dialogue with Members of other Parliaments provided that the country with which they intend to relate is a member of the United Nations, has a Legislature, and has diplomatic relations with Ghana

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on Wednesday, inaugurated the 11-member Management Committee.

Mr. Speaker urged the Committee members to inject a new lease of life into the Association and called for friendship engagements to address trans-generational and trans-territorial challenges.

Speaker Bagbin said “personal contacts between Members of Parliament of different countries enhance mutual understanding and establish alternative channels beneficial for bilateral relations between countries.”

He explained that “such contacts can be useful to place national problems in context, as well as to initiate activities including those aimed at peace, security, and strengthening democracy and human rights, economic development, improving education and social conditions of their respective countries.

“I will, therefore, urge Members of Parliament to avail yourselves of this opportunity to join various Parliamentary Friendship Associations when they are advertised by the Management Committee.

“I also appeal to Hon. members of the Friendship Association to show genuine interest in the affairs of their partner countries in order to have real interaction with them,” Speaker Bagbin added.
The Speaker did a trajectory of the history of the association and its benefits and pledged his support for the Parliamentary Friendship Association. He tasked the Committee to add more females to the group.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin, on his part was brief in his remarks and said the Committee would work with zeal to achieve its vision and mission.

He has James Klutse Avedzi , the Deputy Minority Leader as Vice Chairman.

Other members are Madam Lydia Seyram Alhasssan, Deputy Majority Whip; Mr. Ahamed Ibrahim, Deputy Minority Whip, Mr. Bryan Acheampong, Chairperson, Foreign Affairs Committee; Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; Ranking Member, Foreign Affairs Committee; Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah, MP Akuapem South Constituency; and Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, MP for Oforikrom Constituency-both nominated by the Majority Leader; and Mr. Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East Constituency, nominated by the Minority Leader.

Members at the Secretariat of the Committee are Mr. Richard Kwame Acheampong, Head Parliamentary Relations Unit as Secretary; and Mrs. Anthonia-Gloria French Okine, Assistant Parliamentary Relations Officer as Assistant Secretary.