Henceforth, I may not wear my speaker’s cloak again – Bagbin to MPs

Henceforth, I may not wear my speaker’s cloak again – Bagbin to MPs

The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has said going forward, he will only wear his cloak for special ceremonies only. He said he will not wear the cloak for regular house sittings.

“You may be seeing me more in traditional dresses. I may use that [the cloak] only for ceremonial occasions, which is what is in the literature of Ghana concerning that cloak and gown.” He said in a recent interview on GTV.

He emphasized the need to wear traditional/native dresses to help market Ghanaian culture. He further stated that wearing those cloaks and gowns is aristocratic and therefore it’s time to sell our own culture too.

Mr. Bagbib believes that wearing traditional dresses on a routine basis will help sell the Ghanaian culture to the world.

“We also have to provide the market for our produce. We cannot always rely on what others manufacture and sell to us when we are capable of manufacturing even better ones,” the Hon. Speaker added.

The Speaker’s cloak has been a symbolic costume in Ghana’s political dispensation since the beginning of the fourth republic. Speakers, deputy speakers, and clerks wear them on every parliamentary sitting to clearly distinguish them from the members of parliament.

SOURCE: Accramail.com