The Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has been named as the leader for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) minority side in the next parliament.
He will be deputized by the Member of Parliament for Ketu North, James Klutse Avedzi.
The new parliament will be constituted on 6th January, 2017, ahead of the official swearing-in of the country’s new President, Nana Akufo-Addo.
Haruna Iddrisu, 46-year-old lawyer, has been in parliament for over 12 years, and is the outgoing Minister of Employment and Labour relations.
James Avedzi, 52, a chartered accountant by profession, has also served in parliament for 12 years, and has been the Chairman of the Finance committee of Parliament.
Other leaders for the minority side are Mohammed Muntaka, who will maintain his position as the Chief Whip, with the Member of Parliament for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim, and the Member of Parliament for Ada East, Hon. Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah, serving as deputy chief whips.
Meanwhile outgoing Majority leader, Alban Bagbin has been tipped to become second deputy Speaker of the House in the Seventh Parliament starting January 7, 2017.
Some caucuses within the soon-to-be-dissolved parliament particularly on the minority side, have began lobbying for their preferred candidates to be elected to serve in various leadership positions in the house.
Earlier last week, the Volta caucus in a statement said, James Klutse Avedzi was the best person to be elected as leader of the minority side of the next parliament.
The spokesperson for the caucus and MP for Keta, Richard Quarshigah in an interview Eyewitness News said, “Avedzi for instance has been the chairman of the Finance Committee for eight years, and he has demonstrated himself in a very excellent and appreciable manner on that committee.
About Haruna Iddrisu
Haruna Iddrisu was born in Tamale on September 8, 1970. He has held a seat in parliament as the Member of Parliament for the Tamale South constituency, since 2004.
He has served on appointments committee, constitutional, legal and parliamentary committee, and the judicial committees of parliament.
Haruna Iddrisu attended Ghana’s premier University, Legon between 1993 and 1997 where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Sociology.
His involvement in student politics saw him becoming the President of the National Union of Ghana Students during his final year in the university.
Haruna has been a member of the Ghana Bar Association since 2002.
He was the National Youth Organizer for the NDC in 2002, and became an MP during the 2008 parliamentary election.
Haruna has held various positions in government, including Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Minister for Communications as well as Minister for Trade between 2013 and 2014.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor