Johnson Asiedu Nketia, a Member of the Parliamentary Service Board, has made more revelations about behind-the-scenes discussions that happened on the night of the election for Speaker of the 8th Parliament of Ghana especially the roles played by now Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
According to Mr. Asiedu Nketia, the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) General Secretary, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame in the Ashanti Region repeated begged the NDC lied for his NPP side to save them from embarrassment.
This, he said, was after Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu ordered the snatching and chewing of some ballot papers.
The NDC scribe painted a picture of Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as a habitual liar who cannot be trusted in any shape or form because he is ‘untruthful’.
The 8th Parliament saw the first of its three chaotic scenes as MPs clashed repeatedly on the night over who becomes Speaker of Parliament; – the outgoing Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Aaron Oquaye of the NPP or the outgone NDC Member of Parliament for Nadowli Kaleo constituency.
The height of the melee saw the MP for Tema East, Carlos Ahenkorah, steal and chew ballot papers after it became apparent that the NPP’s nominee, Professor Mike Oquaye was going to lose to the NDC’s Alban Bagbin.
The leadership of the house and political party leaders who were present in Parliament met to discuss the way forward.
Asiedu Nketia has opened up on discussions on the night after Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu disclosed the content of a pre-budget presentation meeting the Parliamentary Service Board had.
According to him, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has lost the trust of the NDC side of the house after he peddled falsehood during and after those meetings.
He cited, for example, that during the meeting, it was decided that Bagbin will be credited as the winner of the elections only for the Majority Leader to come out and say something completely different to what was agreed on.
“When Carlos Ahenkorah stole the ballot papers during the voting of the speaker, videos captured him ordering Ahenkorah to go and steal it. When the leadership met, he suggested that we declare the election null and void and conduct a new one. We rejected it and asked the clerk to declare the polls.
“He begged us to give the First Deputy Speaker post to them because they are in government and that they will need him to chair the Appointments Committee. They begged us and I warned that I don’t trust the NPP because they will come out and say something different but the others agreed so we moved on.
“They pleaded that dignitaries had arrived for the swearing in of the president so we had to make concessions.
“They also begged us to give them the second Deputy Speaker and we opted to give it to the Independent candidate.
“They (NPP) asked that both Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Haruna Iddrisu read a statement which states that Mike Oquaye pulled out of the elections and that Bagbin was offered the position. I resisted and told them, it will be disgraceful. Kyei-Mensah made the proposition, asking us to lie but I said No. I asked the Clerk to go to the house and declare the result and he did that.
“After the swearing-in of the president, the first thing Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said is that Bagbin was not elected and that they agreed to offer him the position,” he said on Okay FM.
Meanwhile, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s past records from his secondary school; St. Peter’s Senior High School, located at Nkwatia – Kwahu in the Eastern Region where he was dismissed for stealing have surfaced again.
His dismissal letter from the school has found its way to the internet showing the Suame MP and Majority leader was dismissed from the school for stealing.
According to the online portal, MyNewsGh.com, Kyei Mensah Bonsu, who was then known as Lawrence Addae, broke into the school’s store to steal provisions for which he was dismissed until further notice.
A letter addressed to Mr. J.K Addae, father of Lawrence Addae Kyei Mensah Bonsu and signed by the then Assistant Headmaster of St. Peter’s Secondary School said the school regrets to inform the older Addae of the misconduct of his son which has led to his sack.
The crime was “breaking into the School Store and Stealing Provisions”.
MyNewsGh.com understands that after this stealing episode and the dismissal, Lawrence Addae, with the help of his father changed his name to Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu to start afresh so he can get admission into any school because no school would admit him with his stealing record.
He started using Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and that has been the case to date.
He went to KNUST later where he studied Planning and earned a 3rd class, the only degree he holds to date. After KNUST, he couldn’t find a job so he started selling car parts in Suame-Magazine and rose to become Member of Parliament due to his father’s good name and his own popularity at Magazine.
This is not the first time Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu’s past had caught up with him.
MyNewsGh.com checks reveal Lawrence Addae Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu was born in Bremang-Afrancho in Ashanti Region with the birth name Lawrence Addae.
Our readers will remember how General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress Asiedu Nketia made chilling revelations about Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu’s past life which he claimed had made it difficult for the Suame MP to be considered for Ministerial appointment since President Kufour’s time.
In the interview monitored by MyNewsGh.com, Asiedu Nketia said this “dark” hidden past of Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is why he has always stayed in parliamentary leadership to serve his party without lobbying for ministerial appointment which will require him to be publicly vetted and where the issue could be used against him.
The Majority leader has refused to speak about the issue although it has been out over a decade now.
