Constitution. And when he came, he expressed interest in contesting any future election on the ticket of any party that would emerge from the Danquah- Busia-Dombo Tradition.
Mr Speaker, as I said, that was the first time I met him. The Hon Nana Asante- Frempong, in 1992, came to contest the primaries of the constituency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He lost to one Obiri Yeboah.
In 1992, the NPP boycotted the Parliamentary elections. Mr Obiri Yeboah went back to Canada, and when everybody thought that because the Party had boycotted the 1992 elections, he would be fielded to contest the election in 1996 -- and he himself had assured that he would come down -- at the last hour, he could not come down and that is how come the late Nana Asante-Frempong came to contest.
He won the elections at the time by the slimmest of margin -- by one vote. That is at the constituency level, and then got to represent the constituency on the ticket of the NPP.
Mr Speaker, as the tribute provides, subsequent to that, there was a heated primaries that was conducted for the 2004 Elections. Three Frempongs went to contest; the incumbent MP at the time, the late Nana Asante-Frempong; the Hon Kofi Frimpong, who dislodged him; and Prof. Kwame Frimpong of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
(GIMPA).
That was the “battle of the Frimpongs”. Incidentally, the Chairman of the constituency at the time also bore the name, Frimpong. So, Mr Speaker, if you were not a Frimpong, you were not part of the equation.
Mr Speaker, the late Nana Asante- Frempong was, indeed, a self-made man. He was an astute Kente weaver he engaged Kente weavers in the Wonoo enclave and he also had his own company which was called Wonoo Ventures.
Mr Speaker, for a very long time, he was an Executive Member of the Association of Ghana Industries, even before he came to Parliament.
Wonoo Ventures had outlets not only in Ghana here. It was headquartered in Kumasi, with an outlet in Accra, but it also had three outlets in California, Atlanta-Georgia and New York in the United States of America.
Mr Speaker, when he lost the primaries of 2004, he did not recline and ostracise himself from the affairs of the party; he got deeply involved in whatever went on in the constituency. He was the lead figure in the Ashanti Region who brought together the former Members of Parliament
(MP).
The meetings of that group were always held in his house until two years ago, when he fell sick and it became almost impossible for him to actively participate in the activities of the forum for former MPs.
When I last visited him, which was about six months ago, he bemoaned the fate of former MPs and asked whether we could constantly engage them in any business that we did, especially workshops, to tap on their vast experience.
Mr Speaker, but for the fact that he owned a very successful enterprise, he would have been in considerable difficulty, taking care of himself on his sick
bed. That should tell us to revisit this matter about some pension scheme for MPs.
This is because many of them leave very successful businesses or positions in the Public and Civil Service to come to Parliament, serve for one, two or three terms and when they leave Parliament, they cannot go back to their old positions. This is especially because they might have become politically tainted. So, it is important that we revisit this issue instead of allow our former Colleagues to live lives that one could only describe as penury.
Mr Speaker, we are told that the burial and funeral arrangements are slated for this weekend. So, I would want to use this occasion to appeal to my Hon Colleagues, to be in attendance at the funeral of the late Nana Asante Frempong which would be held in Kumasi. I am told it would be at his residence, which is close to the Georgia Roundabout in Kumasi.
Mr Speaker, I can only pray for his soul and also pray for the family that is left behind. May the Almighty God grant him eternal rest.
