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The catchphrase, ‘Any port in the storm’, without any shred of doubt, aptly describes the situation the New Patriotic Party finds itself in as far as our numbers in Parliament is concerned.

With almost an equal strength in terms of numbers, it behoved the leadership of the party to sort of ‘help a lame dog over a stile’.

To this end, at the recently held Steering Committee meeting which had His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in attendance, certain conclusions were arrived at and decisions taken which, in my considered opinion, were the best as they would go a long way to help the party recuperate from the ailment it is saddled with.

After the deliberations on who should be given what as far as the party’s parliamentary leadership was concerned, President Akufo-Addo, Chairman Freddy Blay, John Boadu, the General Secretary of the party and all the top guns of the party both in Parliament and outside, settled on some MPs to help steer the affairs of the party in Parliament.

Honourable Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu’s long years of service and experience became handy as he was selected to lead the charge, once again, as the Majority Leader. He is to mentor young, vibrant and brainy MPs like Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu (Deputy Majority Leader), Annoh Dompreh as the Majority Chief Whip, Alhaji Habib Iddrisu of Tolon will be First Deputy Chief Whip whereas Ophelia Hayford of Mfantsiman was chosen as Second Deputy Chief Whip.

These appointments by the President and the other members of the Steering Committee point to one direction; an entity willing to groom young and capable minds to take over the running of the party in that department in the years ahead.

Many a time, the New Patriotic Party is accused of dwarfing the talents of the young ones in the party by settling on the older generation. The youthful ones, it has always been the belief, are always ignored while the aged are given positions or appointments.

Unlike the NDC which has been handing over appointments and positions to the young ones, the NPP prioritizes the older generation to the detriment of the youth.

To have these young MPs to help lead the party in Parliament is a manifestation of a party and Government willing to change a status quo not so palatable to thousands of the members of the party.

It is upon these that I emphasize that President Akufo-Addo and the other members of the Steering Committee ought to be hailed for thinking about the party’s future. Their actions are visionary, in my estimation.

What has become a highly contentious topic in the aftermath of these decisions by some party members, especially some sitting and outgoing MPs, is why Alhaji Habib Iddrisu of Tolon and Ophelia Hayford of Mfantsiman have been given such huge responsibilities as First and Second Deputy Chief Whips respectively since they are ‘newbies’, first timers with no experience in manning such portfolios.

Putting it in another way, some MPs and other party members have questioned the rationale behind elevating first time MPs to such positions when there are some second time MPs around.

The fact of the matter was that the two were not selected above the old guards as it’s being speculated. MPs who could have taken up the First Deputy Chief Whip slot from the northern part of the country declined for reasons that they maybe considered for other positions, mostly outside Parliament. That paved way for Honourable Habib Iddrisu to get the nod.

For the women’s caucus, all the female MPs who had been named declined with the explanation that they would be appointed into ministerial positions and, therefore, could not accept the position of the Second Deputy Majority Chief Whip. That’s how come Ophelia Hayford got her position.

I do not agree with the belief that all first time MPs cannot and should not be given such duties in Parliament for lack of experience. With the passage of time, they will learn the ropes and live up to expectations.

We have first time MPs being Vice Chairmen/Chairpersons of Committees in Parliament and have performed creditably well. We even have some first time MPs who are chairing Committees in Parliament and they have not disappointed us. These very reasons make moot the argument that first timers have little or no experience to be burdened with such responsibilities.

Honourable Ambrose Derry entered Parliament in 2009, and that was his first time. It would interest readers to know that he was made the Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament and he executed his duties satisfactorily.

First time MPs have become ministers and even Cabinet Ministers under our administration. This makes the ‘experience’ argument unsustainable.

In conclusion, President Akufo-Addo and the leadership of the party have given hope to the young ones who have the wherewithal to lead the party in one area or the other. This will ginger the up and coming ones to work like Trojans for the party since they would likely be rewarded at the end of the day.