Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, has lamented that there is a downward spiral in the appreciation of statecraft among Ghanaians and that this development is stoking bastardization of State institutions.
As a result of the misconception of what statecraft is, he says, the average Ghanaian thinks that getting the opportunity to serve in any state institution is an opportunity to put the common good on the back burner and promote personal or parochial partisan interests.
“There are matters about building strong institutions like the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Auditor-General’s Department. But it looks like our society is a bit confused,” the Speaker said.
He was speaking at a virtual conference of the US-Ghana Exchange Alumni in Accra on Saturday.
“We seem to be confused about where we are headed for. We are confused about the place of principles, objectivity and impartiality in the conduct of national politics. Consequently, anyone who espouses a strong position on these becomes the subject of attacks. We are confused about the importance of placing the interest of the nation above our own parochial political interest,” he said.
According to him, “These have created some complications in our body politic with regards to trust, relationships and fairness among others.”
His lament just a few weeks after the National Communications Officer of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) accused him, along with the NDC’s Parliamentary Caucus of being traitors because they failed to ensure some Ministerial nominees of President Akufo-Addo are not approved.
The Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has since explained that he is the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament and that his position does not permit him to be Partisan.