Author: Sunliedong Justice
Having entered parliament at the ripe age of 35 in 1993 when he had peaked as a youth, Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin had already set his sights on serving his constituents as his utmost priority even as he equally looked forward to personal development and growth.
As a Member of Parliament for a largely rural constituency at the time, Hon Alban Bagbin never missed the opportunity to engage with his constituents and consulted widely the different shades of stakeholders in the constituency on the way forward as far as contributing to the development and betterment of the constituency was concerned.
This was a member of parliament who traversed the length and breadth of the constituency to see for himself the reality of the difficulties that confronted the people on whose behalf he was recognized as a legislator.
He run an open-door policy allowing any willing and desiring constituent at all to have access to him so that he could at first-hand hear their grievances, views, opinions and suggestions.
This servant-leader approach worked so perfectly for him during his 28-year tenure as a Member of Parliament as he kept on receiving the confidence amd endorsement of the constituents whether at an internal party primaries or at the general elections.
This enviable feat did not come cheap as he had to deal with all manner of opposition schemes and propaganda targeted at his person. Ironically enough, most of the propagandist schemes never dwelled on the success or otherwise of his leadership of the constituency but rather on personal differences.
In politics as we all know, differences in opinion and preferences would always arise as and when some choices are to be made and decisions taken. But the beauty of the game of politics is for such opposing views and preferences to eventually converge at a point for progress to be made.
Unfortunately, despite the stellar political and leadership feat of the Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin, his name continues to be dragged through the mud every other by persons whose motive can only be known by themselves and the supreme being alone.
One would have thought that after the RT HON ALBAN BAGBIN attained the high office of Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, the negative news and focus on his name would have stopped immediately paving way for a renewed sense of togetherness and purposefulness.
There is no gain saying that for the position of the third most important gentleman of the republic of Ghana to fall on a son of Sombo in the Upper West Region it would have been a rallying point especially in the Nadowli-Kaleo District.
The Rt Hon Alban Bagbin’s humble beginnings and his roots go a long way to tell the average person that indeed hard work and determination conquer and break barriers.
His rise to global stardom must be used as study-curve for the young and upcoming ones to emulate in their quest to navigate the complexities of life.
It is so disheartening to hear all manner of sponsored attacks against this noble man springing up from mere speculations and conjecturing.
He comes under attack for non-existent and mostly inconsequential accusations of supporting or not supporting one person or another in mostly NDC internal politics.
These unfounded allegations fail to stand the test of time whenever they are subjected to scrutiny by fair minds who refuse to fall for such skewed and concocted allegations.
It is so mindboggling that in spite of the inability of these sponsored smear campaigns to stand the test of time the sponsors and perpetrators continue to pursue the same old agenda.
Fair minded and objective people keep questioning why this peace-loving, accommodating, compassionate and visionary man would continue to be faced with such misplaced, unwarranted and unjustifiable attacks from his home constituency.
Connoisseurs of politics believe that these sponsored attacks are perpetuated through the application of misinformation and disinformation tactics by people who barely understand the history of albeit what they might have been told by their sponsors and paymasters.
Even if that is the case, is it impossible for our generation to research and find out for themselves the legacy and track record of the Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin?
It is on record that the Rt Hon Alban Bagbin’s tenure as Member of Parliament witnesses tremendous interventions in all sectors of life ranging from health, education, women, social, youth, water to sanitation among others.
Indeed, it was reported that teacher-trainees and nursing-trainees from other districts in the Upper West Region applied for sponsorship at the Nadowli District Assembly and agreed to be bonded to serve in the district upon completing their studies because a greater percentage of the MP’s share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund was dedicated to human resource development and training at the time. Thus was no mean achievement as it drew a lot of teachers and nurses into the district to serve the learning and health needs of the constituents.
As Speaker of Parliament from 2021 to 2024, the Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin demonstrated his fatherly love and statesmanship by spreading wide his tentacles of influence as he spearheaded and undertook various projects and initiatives across the Upper West Region earning him considerable recognition not limited to Chieftaincy titles in the Awudome Traditional Council, Wala State, the Takpo Paramountcy, and Suma Ahenkro (Gyaman) Traditional Area
Special mention can be made of;
1. The ongoing construction of a 2,000 seater capacity ultramodern and state of the art auditorium and an expensive modern state of the art public and entertainment address system for the Wa Senior High School, his alma mater,
2. The renovation and rehabilitation of the Malik Jabir Stadium in Wa which ensured that Division One Clubs got the opportunity to play their home matches in Wa instead of having to travel to Tamale every other weekend
3. The construction of a FIFA-standard Astro Turf facility at the McCoy College of Education in Nadowli, the first of its kind in the Upper West Region to serve the sporting and social gathering needs of the region
4. The construction of a one-story administration block and a fence wall at Sombo Senior High School
5. The construction of a 6-unit classroom block at Sombo Senior High School
6. The construction of a 6-Unit and 2-unit classroom blocks for Naro Primary and KG
7. The construction of a 6-Unit and 2-unit classroom blocks for Guree Primary and KG
8. The construction of a 6-unit classroom block at Takpo Senior High School, and reconstruction and expansion of the Takpo Health Centre
9. The construction of an ultramodern IT, robotics and software engineering center at Kaleo
10. Donation of 50,000 cedis to the Upper West Citizens’ Ambulance Project
11. The construction of a 6-unit classroom block at Kaluri
12. Renovation of 31st December Day Nursery in Nandom
13. Donation of funds to facilitate the renovation of a maternity ward at Yaala Number two
14. Donation of an ultramodern public address system to the Wa Naa’s Palace valued at 86,000 cedis and annual maintenance service since 2022
15. Donation of vests and footballs to the three Division One Clubs in the Upper West Region in 2023, and continuous support GFA Upper West Region
16. Donation to the Center for National Culture in support of the Annual Woori Festival and other traditional festivals in the Upper West and other Regions
17. Provision of 17 mechanized water boreholes in various communities in the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency
18. Sponsorship of a number of tertiary students and research projects and thesis
19. A modern public address system for the Ghana Law School, Makola, Accra
In his first tenure spanning January 2021 to December 2024, the above have been some of the interventions spearheaded, funded and executed by the Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin.
In this first year of his second term, the Rt. Hon Bagbin has engaged consultants, led by the World acclaimed and decorated visionary, Prof Kwame Addo, to produce a draft visionary board revealing private sector development pathways for socio-economic development of the Upper West Region with particular emphasis on the municipality, Wa, referred to as “the Spark.”
This documentary was presented in a form of a video documentary to the Regional Coordinating Council led by the Regional Minister, the representatives of the Wanaa, Paramount Chiefs, Queen mothers, Tindaaba, religious leaders, public officials, media personnel and citizens of the region for in puts and incorporation in the development plan of the region.
The visionary board captures a number of private sector investments in planning infrastructure, manufacturing and urban development.
The presentation was done by the consultants led by Prof Kwame Addo at different venues on different days between the 7th and 10th of September 2025. This has inspired and mobilized the Chiefs, Queen mothers, Tindaaba, religious, civil and political leaders to action and a further push for a common purpose, direction and hope for the people in the Region led by the Regional Minister.
These are efforts that traverse the upper west region since the shea is a main lever to the development pathways. This is a man who thinks about and prioritizes Ghana first and not limiting himself to any tribal and ethnic considerations.
This makes the Speaker of Parliament a true statesman and an all-embracing leader who does not deserve to be subjected to any malicious and unmerited attacks as has been witnessed.
It beats imaginations how such a ‘bad’ and ‘unfit’ man would seamlessly appeal to the conscience of all who matter in the NDC to be given the enviable opportunity to grab a second term as the Speaker of Parliament for the 9th Parliament.
Why would any group of people seek to suggest that the leadership of the NDC does not know what they are doing? Doesn’t it ring a bell in the ears of his haters and saboteurs that he has been equipped with relevant and time-tested attributes that thrust him up as the obvious choice?
Rather than fight a losing battle, it is only appropriate for the stakeholders in the constituency to embrace this unique and God-sent opportunity of having a Speaker of Parliament and use it to turn around the fortunes of constituency.
There is no denying the fact that as the Speaker of Parliament and more so a former Member of Parliament, the Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin should necessarily have a say in whatever political decisions need to be taken in the constituency.
It would be absurd and unthinkable if anyone anywhere thinks that his counsel, views, opinions or suggestions are immaterial and can be swept aside.
Then who else matters in the constituency if he does not especially that he has dedicated all his life to serving the constituency and its people?
It is only advisable and appropriate for the entirety of the Upper West Region to rally round the Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin as he begins his second term as Speaker of Parliament as the Chiefs and People of the Region look up to him to initiate more interventions to spur development.
This is even more critical and crucial given that he is politically affiliated to the party in government and would have the ears of the executive much better than in his first term.
It is the fervent hope of the region that the ongoing projects would be completed in time to pave way for him to initiate new projects.
Mention must be made of the Astro Turf Facility at the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies in Wa.
This sporting facility would contribute immensely to sports development in the region considering its proximity to the regional capital.
As accommodating and foresighted that he has always been, the Rt. Hon Bagbn must not in any way be disappointed, disillusioned and distracted from seeing the broader picture out there where his admirers value and cherish his hard-earned reputation and his enviable record and achievements in public service.
This group of people should be the motivation for which he should continue to do as much as he can in service to his people.
Indeed, the torch that he lit at the onset of his leadership journey would never get dim, it shall continue to burn and glow brighter even after he has left the scene.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
