Be catalyst for change and development

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has implored Members of Parliament (MPs) to eschew ego, indiscipline, and the heir of a superiority complex to safeguard a better healthier, and stronger Parliament.

To achieve this, he said MPs to demonstrate humility and exemplary leadership by clamping down on conducts and utterances that destroyed or impacted negatively the reputation of Ghana’s Parliament.

“What you say is not only to the society but also to yourself and it will manifest itself in you. Once articulated, our statements become irrevocable and there are repercussions as they profoundly impact our reputations,” he said.

Speaking at the first breakfast prayer meeting in the Ninth Parliament today, Mr Bagbin said it was of utmost importance that MPs engage in communications that “edify, create and bring peace”

“We should engage in conduct with the highest sense of decency, simplicity, humility, professionalism and accountability,” he advised.

The meeting, organised by the Christian Fellowship of Parliament on the theme “A better and stronger Parliament”, brought together revered clergy, led by Nicholas Duncan-Williams, MPs, civil society, and staff of the Parliamentary Service Board to pray for the Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary and the people of Ghana.

Profound responsibility

The Speaker reminded MPs that it was of utmost importance to acknowledge that their collective image as members was a direct reflection and conclave mirror of the Legislature itself.
Each action they undertake, he said, had a significant impact on the overarching reputation of Parliament.

“We bear a profound responsibility to uphold and fortify this institution, given that we are the bedrock of the democracy we champion,” he reminded them.

Mr Bagbin noted that one of the distinguishing hallmarks of an altruistic and conscientious leader was the ability to give others the invaluable gift of selfless service.

Such leaders, he said, cultivated an environment where collaboration and support thrived, inspiring those around them to rise to their full potential.

“Humble yourselves and accord purity to the needs of your constituents. It is through the embodiment of genuine leadership that one is able to cultivate a profound sense of community while also instilling a higher purpose of integrity.

“That promotes collective vision which surpasses individual aspirations,” he said, pointing out that a community enriched by servant leaders was a testament to the empowerment of its members

“Such leadership not only elevates individual talents and experiences but contributes to safeguard a better healthier and stronger Parliament and ultimately such a Parliament becomes a blessing to the society as a whole,” he said.

Be mindful of your actions today

In this era of the fourth industrial revolution in which the world had become a global village, the Speaker said leaders must not overlook or disregard the whatever they did today was not observed by the youth through their lenses but also became a touchstone by which they were judged.

“We should always strive to be remembered for the wrongs we corrected rather than the rights we abused and this is copiously covered in the Holy Bible,” he said.

As leaders of today, Mr Bagbin said MPs must truly exemplify the values that would inspire the youth or not those that would inadvertently become the distractions that could lead to the downfall of our nation.

He quoted the words of the French author, Francis de La Rochefoucauld, who wrote “Nothing is as contagious as example; we never perform a great deed or act of evil that does not provide its likeness.”

“So, when as elected representatives you stand on the floor of Parliament and think that you are joking and setting examples, it is not what you are saying but what you are doing.

“It is not how many times you go to church or to the mosque but it is the examples that you are leaving your generation,” he said.

He, therefore, urged MPs to imagine a future where the youth recounted stories of their leadership with disappointment, viewing them as “missed opportunities rather than catalysts for change”.

“That vision is not just disheartening; it is a wake-up call,” he said, reminding them of the word of Benjamin Disraeli, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who said “The youth of a nation are the trustees of prosperity.”

In the view of the Speaker, politicians had the power now to shape the narrative of tomorrow.
“Let us strive to be the exemplary leaders whose legacy inspires greatness, igniting passion and purpose in the generations that follow,” he said.

Let’s unite

Archbishop Duncan Williams, quoting from the 12 chapter of Matthew, said every kingdom, city or house that was divided against itself was brought to destruction and could not stand.
He said it was the principle of God that when people were united, they were “better together than when we stand alone”.

By: Addo Dennis Adjei

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