Parliament has paid glowing tribute to the memory of the late Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, the immediate past Member of Parliament for the Old Tafo Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
The four-term former lawmaker was pronounced dead on Monday, March 20, 2023 aged 64 after a short illness.
A former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance in the government of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Dr Osei also served as the Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation in the first term of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's government between 2017 and 2021.
In a statement to lead the tribute on the floor of Parliament in Accra yesterday, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the successor MP of the late Dr Osei said the late politician has duly paid his due to his country.
According to him, the late American-trained economist demonstrated "virtues and competence we may never experience again in the political landscape of our dear nation".
"He was a man of great vision and purpose who brought passion, dedication and deep sense of responsibility to his work.
"He had admirable work ethics, depth of knowledge, unparalleled humility and affable nature.
"Dr Akoto Osei was an inspiring role model whose ethics, virtues, and principles groomed my political career and overall growth."
The first term lawmaker said though death is inevitably appointed unto all men, the demise of Dr Osei, "a tireless advocate who worked hard to improve the lives of his constituents," would be difficult to assimilate.
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The Member for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, on his part said the late MP was a nice gentleman by all standards with immense experience having sat on both sides of the House.
Having this experience, Alhaji Muntaka, the immediate past Minority Chief Whip said the late Dr Osei shifted position even when he disagreed just for government business to run.
That quality, he said, was lacking in the current House as both caucuses take too much entrenched positions which have not been helpful to parliament and the country as a whole.
"The earlier both sides begin to think that there is a national interest above the NPP and NDC interests, we will be sinking our country," he said.
Alhaji Muntaka said when he was government whip between 2013 and 2016, the caucuses disagreed on matters and the majority had to draw back, look at the concerns of the minority and accommodated some.
"Today, our colleagues in government make a point and don't want to shift because they see shift as defeat and the minority will also not shift position when they feel so strong about it.
"If we keep this kind of mindset, we will be destroying our country. This country would be gone because the strongest link that help this democracy is parliament," he said and urged Members to imbibe the values of the late Dr Osei to move the House and country forward.
