The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs; Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, and Dr. Nii Kotei Dzani, Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Group and the Greater Accra Regional Representative on the Council of State have been awarded an honorary doctorate degrees.

They were awarded in recognition of their contributions towards the socio-economic development and their outstanding achievements in the field of endeavours at the 9th Congregation of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

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The congregation, which was on the theme "Celebrating Professional and Scholarly Excellence for Accelerated Nation Building", was under the sponsorship of the UMB, Access Bank, United Pension Trustees Limited, Excellence Business College, Ideal Financial Services and SIC Life as its sponsors.

Mr. Bagbin said, the high attrition rate of Parliamentarians is a bane to development in Parliament.

"One requires time and effort to learn and grasp the practices and procedures of Parliament," he stated.

According to Mr. Bagbin "To be able to maintain the knowledgeable and experienced law makers, there is the need for political parties and the electorate to make a conscious effort to retain experienced lawmakers during elections. Otherwise, we risk the scary situation of having our Parliament taken over by people with fat wallets, money bags and who may not have what it takes to expand the frontiers of our democracy."

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"Our ability to retain experienced lawmakers would provide the vehicle for the transfer of experience, knowledge and wisdom to newly elected members," he added.

He said the various political parties needed to introspect on the selection process of their parliamentary candidates.

"They are undermining the growth of Parliament and consciously or unconsciously institutionalising corruption.

"We cannot behave like ostriches. As a nation, we shall reap, what we sow," the Second Deputy Speaker said.

He added that, "The two of us [A. S. K. Bagbin and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu] are not instant products...Bagbin started his parliamentary carried in 1993. He is into his seventh successive term I Parliament - his 25th year now."

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He said, "Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is into his 21st year, his sixth successive as a Member of Parliament. Coincidentally, he is the only of the NPP pioneer group that first entered Parliament in 1997."

Mr. Bagbin, on behalf of his colleagues’ awardees expressed gratitude to the Management and Staff of the UPSA for the honour done them.