Patrick Yaw Boamah is the Okaikwei Central MP
The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has withdrawn from his assigned role as an observer in Ghana’s delegation to the Pan-African Parliament.
The lawmaker and member of the Minority Caucus in Parliament stated that his decision stems from checks he conducted at the Pan-African Parliament Secretariat, which revealed that his role as an observer does not permit him to participate in committee meetings, but only allows him to attend them upon invitation.
In essence, his concern is that the observer’s role imposes limitations on his ability to contribute.
In a memo addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin and dated July 23, 2025, it reads, “Speaker, I respectfully write to formally withdraw from the reconstituted list of Ghana’s delegation to the Pan-African Parliament as an Observer as adopted by the House in a resolution on Tuesday, 22nd July, 2025, as evidenced in the copy of the attached votes and proceedings of Tuesday 22nd July, 2025.
“Mr Speaker, my checks with the Pan-African Parliament Secretariat indicates that Observers are not permitted to participate in plenary sitting or committee meeting. Observers are only permitted to attend upon meeting.”
Patrick Boamah’s decision follows Parliament’s reconstitution of the delegation to the Pan-African Parliament after adopting a resolution on July 22, 2025.
He further contended that his inclusion in the delegation is a right, based on the established formula for committees and delegations, which entitles the Minority Caucus to two representatives.
“Mr Speaker, under the established formula for committees and delegations, my inclusion is by right, as the Minority Caucus is entitled to two representatives. The 68:32 ratio-which guided the allocation of committee memberships-was equally applied in constituting the ECOWAS Parliament delegation,” he argued.
Boamah added that his decision to withdraw as an observer is “to avoid any potential embarrassment to the Parliament of Ghana and Ghanaians as a whole.”
The newly-reconstituted delegation to the Pan-African Parliament is led by First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor; with Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Collins Dauda, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and Frank Annoh-Dompreh serving as members, while Patrick Boamah has been designated as an observer.
MAG/AE
Meanwhile, watch what Jane Reindorf Osei says about Ghana’s readiness for tourism investment:
